Imagine holding a time capsule from 1980, one that captures the raw, unfiltered thoughts of John Lennon just hours before his tragic death. That’s exactly what Steven Soderbergh has unearthed with his upcoming, still-untitled documentary. Centered on Lennon’s final interview—a conversation Soderbergh calls “an incredible historical document”—the film promises to transport us back to a fateful afternoon in December 1980, when the world was on the brink of losing a cultural icon. But here’s where it gets even more compelling: Soderbergh insists this interview is “even more relevant today” than it was 45 years ago, touching on themes like relationships, politics, and the enduring power of love in a way that feels eerily prescient.
Speaking at the inaugural Doha Film Festival, where his latest narrative film, The Christophers, is making its international debut, Soderbergh couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. “I’m excited about it,” he said, his tone both humble and passionate. His goal? To present the documentary in a way that amplifies the interview’s raw authenticity without overshadowing it. “I’m not looking to reinvent the wheel,” he clarified. “I just want as many people as possible to hear what John and Yoko had to say that day.”
And this is the part most people miss: Despite being global icons, Lennon and Yoko Ono were astonishingly open during the interview. “As someone who’s been interviewed countless times, I was struck by how free and excited they were,” Soderbergh noted. “It was as if they were sharing these thoughts for the very first time.” That sense of immediacy and vulnerability is what he hopes to convey to audiences, ensuring their words resonate as deeply today as they did in 1980.
But here’s the controversial part: While many remember Lennon for his music, Soderbergh’s documentary shifts the focus to his words—words that challenge us to rethink how we treat one another, how systems impact individuals, and why love remains the ultimate force in our lives. Is this a bold reinterpretation of Lennon’s legacy, or a long-overdue spotlight on his activism? That’s for viewers to decide.
The interview itself took place on December 8, 1980, at the Dakota, Lennon and Yoko’s New York City apartment. Fresh off a five-year hiatus from music to raise their son, Sean, Lennon was just 40 years old and brimming with renewed creativity. The conversation, conducted with a team from RKO Radio, covered everything from their new album, Double Fantasy, to broader reflections on life and society. Twelve hours later, Lennon was gone, gunned down by Mark David Chapman outside the very building where he’d shared his hopes and dreams.
This documentary marks Soderbergh’s return to feature-length documentaries after over a decade, his last being And Everything Is Going Fine, a 2010 portrait of artist Spalding Gray. Executive producers include Soderbergh himself, alongside Michael Sugar and David Hillman of Sugar23, and Nancy Saslow and David Hudson of Mishpookah Entertainment Group.
As we await the film’s release, one question lingers: Can a 45-year-old interview truly speak to our modern world? Soderbergh believes it can—and he’s betting that Lennon’s words will spark conversations as urgent and necessary as ever. What do you think? Will this documentary redefine how we remember John Lennon, or is it simply a nostalgic trip down memory lane? Let’s debate in the comments!
