John Lennon and Yoko Ono were never shy about sharing their love story with the cameras. The late Beatle and his wife, Plastic Ono Band co-leader, are featured in the first trailer for “One to One: John & Yoko,” an upcoming documentary from Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald. The film explores an 18-month period in the couple’s lives in the early 1970s.
The two-minute trailer opens with audio of Lennon calling someone named Howard. The woman on the other end begins to spell out the singer’s name before realizing who she’s speaking with. “You’re a member of the Beatles?” she asks. “That’s right, yeah,” Lennon replies nonchalantly. The footage then transitions to images of bombs falling during the Vietnam War and the couple preparing for a charity show. Lennon is heard saying, “Good morning, folks. Have you had your breakfast yet,” as footage shows him having a bowl of cereal.
The trailer continues with scenes of John and Yoko embracing their new lives in New York City, shopping for clothes, and spending time with friends. Yoko remarks, “The Flower Generation is over, but we can start all over again, right?” This leads to an iconic image of the couple raising their fists with the Statue of Liberty in the background.
The documentary chronicles the couple’s post-Beatles life in New York in 1972, as they move into an apartment in Greenwich Village and prepare for their One to One Concerts. These shows were a two-night charity event for children with special needs at Madison Square Garden in August 1972. It was Lennon’s only full-length performance after the Beatles’ breakup and included performances by Stevie Wonder, Sha Na Na, and Roberta Flack, among others.
When asked by a reporter why they were doing the free shows, Lennon said, “To change the apathy that the youth have.” Their son, Sean Ono Lennon, produced and remixed the concert audio for the film. The trailer concludes with Lennon performing “Imagine” at the concerts, wearing his signature tinted round eyeglasses.
The film features newly transferred and restored footage from that era, along with previously unseen items from the couple’s archives, including phone calls and home movies. These materials were recorded during the 18 months the couple lived in Greenwich Village.
“How would you like to be remembered?” a reporter asks Lennon in the film. “Just as two lovers,” he responds. The movie will be released exclusively in IMAX on April 11, with a wider release on April 18, and will stream later this year on Max.