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Rock and peace icon Yoko Ono was greeted by hundreds of fans today as she walked into the premiere of The U.S. vs. John Lennon. Many of these fans didn’t even have tickets but lined up for hours to get a glimpse of the legendary Ono. Inside, Ono received a standing ovation before the film, which was received greatly by the packed house at the Ryerson Theatre, including director Michael Moore, who also got a round of applause. The film documents the struggles John and Yoko faced from the late 60’s to the mid 70’s in their quest for peace in a world that was similar in many ways to our own today. In fact, Directors David Leaf and John Sheinfeld (left and right above respectively, with Yoko Ono Lennon) said they tried four times in the past 15 years to sell this film, but no one was buying until a post 9/11 world created a context relative to the 70’s. Lennon and Ono were such a threat to the establishment that the US government attempted to have the couple deported back to England, away from their activist friends and the legions of young American followers.
In the post-screening Q & A, Leaf and Schoenefeld said they are proud Americans and noted that it is important to remember that John loved America too and in the end, the law of the land prevailed allowing him to stay in his adopted home of New York City. When asked if she thinks people today are active enough, Ono’s messaged echoed the lingering sentiment of the film: war is over, if you want it and peace still has a chance.
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