Strawberry Fields Trailer
In 2009, a documentary titled Strawberry Fields: Keeping the Spirit of John Lennon Alive was released to the public. The documentary explores Lennon’s life from childhood, to his tragic end. The film does the job of explaining why John Lennon was, and is still, so important and impactful to people all over the world. It focuses widely on his music and his peace activism, with the ultimate goal to “create an international holiday for peace and love, John Lennon Day”. The creators of this documentary believe so greatly in Lennon’s conviction of peace, that they propose October 9th, Lennon’s birthday, to become an international holiday to celebrate the message that Lennon imparted through his existence.
The trailer shows many scenes of Strawberry Fields in Central Park. In these numerous scenes, strangers are gathered together to commemorate the life and legacy of John Lennon. There is footage of visitors playing instruments, singing along to songs, and existing in this shared space of peace. There are clips of young children at Strawberry Fields, accompanied by their parents who have passed down the admiration for John Lennon, and feel that need to involve their children in a remembrance and an environment that they themselves, would never have gotten to experience first hand.
The documentary compiles various fan interviews spanning over the past 7 years, and creates a narrative of his legacy through those interviews. In addition, the documentary also relays a close friend of Lennons and a music producer, Phil Spector’s own thoughts on John 30 years later, in a very intimate, sit-down interview. The film also puts Lennon on a platform and compares him to many other influential political activists and leaders who were also assassinated, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and President John F. Kennedy. By doing so, they really drive home the point that Lennon was more than just a musician, but someone who had an incredible impact of the political climate and perhaps may have suffered the consequences for it.
In the digital age such as the one we exist in currently, this documentary takes on the responsibility of remembering a global figure for such a wide, easily reachable audience. For people who were not yet born before Lennon’s untimely death, this film can act as a teacher, a guide to who this man was and why his influence is so strong, almost 30 years after his passing. By including people who had an intimate relationship with Lennon, as well as fans who looked up to him, the documentary calls heavily on a wide range of public memory to craft this image of Lennon. By combining images, pictures, videos, music, and interviews all into one medium, this documentary proves to be a true tribute to the spirit of John Lennon.