Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has revealed details about an upcoming untitled documentary centered on the final interview of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, conducted on the day of Lennon's death in 1980. The project aims to highlight their candid discussions on topics like politics and relationships. Soderbergh shared these insights while promoting another film at the Doha Film Festival.
Project Overview
Steven Soderbergh's new documentary will focus on the last interview given by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, which took place on December 8, 1980—the day Lennon was killed. The interview was with RKO Radio hosts Laurie Kaye and Dave Sholin, lasting several hours as the couple promoted Lennon's album Double Fantasy, his first release in five years after a break to raise son Sean.
Soderbergh emphasized that the film is not about innovating the documentary format but rather about sharing the couple's words widely. "I’m just hoping to create a film that gets as many people as possible to hear what John and Yoko had to say on that afternoon before he was killed," he told Variety.
Insights from Soderbergh
Speaking at the Doha Film Festival in Qatar, where he is promoting his film The Christophers, Soderbergh described Lennon and Ono as remarkably open during the conversation. "They were both so free in their discussions," he said. "As someone who has been interviewed many times, I was surprised at how open and excited they were to talk. You would think they had never been interviewed before."
The director noted the interview's enduring relevance, covering themes such as politics, feminism, positive thinking, relationships, and the role of love in daily life and society. "It’s even more relevant in terms of relationships, politics, how we treat each other," Soderbergh added. "How systems work on the individual and above all on the importance of love in our daily life and our world."
This project marks Soderbergh's first documentary since And Everything Is Going Fine in 2010, a profile on performer Spalding Gray. The interview has previously circulated among fans and was detailed in Kaye's recent memoir, Confessions of a Rock ‘n’ Roll Name-Dropper.