VPRO Cinema (★★★★) – “Beautifully depicted political and social context of a turbulent era”
Trouw (★★★★) – “Touching and timely portrait”
de Volkskrant (★★★★) – “Educational, intriguing in form”
The Guardian (★★★★) – “Fun, fierce, full-blooded portrait”
Eighteen defining months in the lives of John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the early 1970s form the basis for the intimate portrait by Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald. A unique snapshot of a turbulent period, in which one of the most iconic couples of the 20th century settled into a small apartment in Greenwich Village, New York. They immerse themselves in American television—from Vietnam coverage and The Price is Right to Nixon, Coca-Cola, and The Waltons—search for Ono’s lost daughter Kyoko, and undergo a transformation in the U.S. A TV feature on Willowbrook State School—for children with intellectual disabilities—ultimately leads to the historic One to One benefit concert at Madison Square Garden. John and Yoko performed together, with Yoko Ono given space for her own voice through Age 39 and the intense Don’t Worry Kyoko, standing as an equal alongside John Lennon. For Lennon, it was his only full-length show following his departure from The Beatles. One to One: John & Yoko features never-before-seen material, including home movies, extensive music footage, and numerous recordings of John and Yoko’s phone conversations.
Scottish director Kevin Macdonald is known for his versatile work in both fiction and non-fiction filmmaking. He broke through with the documentary One Day in September (1999), which earned him an Oscar. Co-director Sam Rice‑Edwards serves as both editor and co-director. Rice‑Edwards previously worked closely with Macdonald on projects including Whitney and played a key role in editing reconstructed television footage, home movies, and the iconic concert scenes. One to One: John & Yoko was partly filmed in a meticulously recreated replica of their New York apartment—designed by Oscar-nominated set decorator Tatiana Macdonald—and features stunning music, newly remixed and produced by Sean Ono Lennon.