🎸One to One: John & Yoko — A Love That Changed Music and the World 🌍

The HBO Original documentary One to One: John & Yoko takes audiences on a rare and intimate journey into John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s first year in New York City — a time of love, rebellion, and musical rebirth. Directed by Academy Award® winner Kevin Macdonald (One Day in September), this immersive film debuts November 14, 2025, on HBO and HBO Max, offering newly restored concert footage, unseen archival material, and a bold reimagining of two artists redefining art and activism.

💞 “Two lovers changing the world.”

In 1971, the world’s most famous couple left London behind and stepped into the chaotic rhythm of New York City. What followed was not just a change of address — it was a transformation of spirit.

One to One: John & Yoko captures the electric first year that John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent in America: a period bursting with political awakening, creative energy, and deeply human connection. From their tiny Greenwich Village apartment, the pair tuned into American life — the Vietnam War, Coca-Cola ads, and The Price Is Right — absorbing a culture both broken and beautiful.

“We came for freedom,” John once said. “And found a revolution waiting for us.”

🎤 The Birth of “One to One”

Out of their immersion in American culture came one of Lennon’s most meaningful acts — the One to One Benefit Concert. After seeing journalist Geraldo Rivera’s exposé on child neglect and abuse at Willowbrook State School, John and Yoko organized the charity event at Madison Square Garden on August 30, 1972.

It would become John Lennon’s only full-length concert after leaving The Beatles — a night that pulsed with hope, activism, and raw emotion.

This performance, along with restored footage of John and Yoko performing with The Elephant’s Memory Band, forms the emotional heartbeat of the documentary. Music newly remixed by Sean Ono Lennon brings these moments to life, creating an intimate bridge between generations.

🗽 The City That Shaped Them

Director Kevin Macdonald recreates Lennon and Ono’s New York world with meticulous precision — right down to their apartment walls. Every scene hums with authenticity, blending archival footage, interviews, and surreal recreations that blur the line between memory and history.

From the riotous TV montage — Nixon speeches, “The Waltons,” and wartime broadcasts — to tender glimpses of love and laughter, One to One captures a cultural crossroads where art and activism collided.

“The 1970s weren’t just about peace and love,” the film suggests. “They were about the courage to dream again.”

🎬 Behind the Film

One to One: John & Yoko is produced by a powerhouse team that includes Plan B (Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner), Mercury Studios, and KM Films.

🎥 Directed by

Kevin Macdonald (The Mauritanian, Marley)

🎞️ Produced by

Peter Worsley, Alice Webb, and Kevin Macdonald

🎧 Executive Producers

Sean Ono Lennon, Steve Condie, David Joseph, Marc Robinson, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner

✂️ Edited & Co-directed by

Sam Rice-Edwards

The film has already earned critical acclaim at major film festivals including Venice, Telluride, and Sundance, hailed for its emotional depth and innovative storytelling.

🎵 A Symphony of Love, Protest & Art

For John and Yoko, music was never just sound — it was protest, passion, and prayer. One to One reminds us how their art transcended fame and became a mirror to the times.

The film traces 18 defining months that changed their lives — and in many ways, changed ours. Through it all, the couple’s message of peace, love, and self-expression echoes louder than ever.

“You may say I’m a dreamer,” Lennon sang, “but I’m not the only one.”

📅 Release & Streaming

📍 Premiere Date: November 14, 2025

📺 Where to Watch: HBO & HBO Max

⏱️ Runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes

🎟️ Screened at: Venice, Telluride, Sundance Film Festivals

🎸 Why One to One: John & Yoko Matters

At a time when art and activism are once again intertwined, One to One feels like both a love letter and a call to action. It celebrates not only two iconic artists but also the era they helped to shape — one where music could still change minds, and love could still change the world.

For fans of Lennon, Ono, and music history itself, this isn’t just a documentary. It’s a time machine — a journey into a year when hope sang louder than fear.

❓ One to One: John & Yoko — FAQ

Q1: What is One to One: John & Yoko about?

The film explores John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s first year in New York City, chronicling their artistic rebirth, political activism, and the creation of the 1972 “One to One” benefit concert.

Q2: Who directed the documentary?

It’s directed by Academy Award® winner Kevin Macdonald, known for One Day in September and Marley.

Q3: When does One to One: John & Yoko release?

The documentary premieres November 14, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and streams on HBO Max.

Q4: What makes this documentary special?

It includes never-before-seen footage, restored concert visuals, and newly remixed music by Sean Ono Lennon, offering a cinematic reimagining of an iconic moment in music history.

Q5: Did the film premiere at any festivals?

Yes! One to One: John & Yoko screened to critical acclaim at Venice, Telluride, and Sundance Film Festivals before its HBO release.

🕊️ Final Thoughts

One to One: John & Yoko is more than a music documentary — it’s a love story, a political statement, and a cinematic poem about two dreamers who believed in the power of change.

Through Kevin Macdonald’s lens, their world comes alive again — the laughter, the music, the protests, and the tender chaos of two souls trying to make sense of fame and freedom.

“All we are saying,” John sings, “is give peace a chance.”

On November 14, HBO invites you to relive the moment when love and music became one — and changed everything. 🎶💫