Press Release SPHE Press Release: Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song (Blu-ray) (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Venice Film Festival 2021

Telluride Film Festival 2021

Tribeca Film Festival 2022



HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG



ON DIGITAL, BLU-RAY™ AND DVD

OCTOBER 11

SYNOPSIS

HALLELUJAH: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song is a definitive exploration of singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen as seen through the prism of his internationally renowned hymn, “Hallelujah.” This feature-length documentary weaves together three creative strands: The songwriter and his times; the song’s dramatic journey from record label reject to chart-topping hit; and moving testimonies from major recording artists for whom “Hallelujah” has become a personal touchstone. Approved for production by Leonard Cohen just before his 80th birthday in 2014, the film accesses a wealth of never-before-seen archival materials from the Cohen Trust including Cohen’s personal notebooks, journals and photographs, performance footage, and extremely rare audio recordings and interviews.



“IN A CLASS BY ITSLF – A MAJESTIC, ALMOST SYMPHONIC DOCUMENTARY.”

- Joe Morgenstern, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL



* * * * *



“A MOVING PORTRAIT OF THE POET TURNED MUSICIAN.”

- Jessica Zack, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE



* * * * *



“UNIQUE AND GRATIFYING.”

- Owen Gleiberman, VARIETY





CAST AND CREW

Directed By: Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine

Featuring: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, John Cale, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Glen Hansard, Sharon Robinson, Rufus Wainwright and many others.



SPECS

Run Time: Approx. 118 minutes

Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language and some sexual material

Blu-ray Feature: 1080p High Definition / 1.78:1 | Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA (Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish)

DVD Feature: 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen | Audio: English, English – Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital (Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish


Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link. As an Amazon Associate HTF earns from qualifying purchases

 

[JoeStemme]

When Leonard Cohen passed away in 2016, the first song that inevitably was mentioned about his career was “Hallelujah”. Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine's documentary uses that famous hymnal to trace not only the history of that particular song, but Cohen's entire life and career.

The song was first recorded in 1984 but he had been in the process of writing it for at least five years, including, by his own count, going through some 150 verses (Cohen continued to re-write phrases and verses ever after)! “Hallelujah” made little impact upon release and it wasn't until first John Cale, and later, Jeff Buckley covered the tune got major attention.

The movie documents Buckley's version in such detail, that it sidetracks the main discussion for quite a spell. The digression is, unfortunately, a bit emblematic of the Doc as a whole. While the basics of Cohen's life (and this particular song) are adequately delved into, Geller and Goldfine never find a consistent narrative. Fortunately, there is enough quality archive footage along with contemporary interviews with those who knew him including long-time friend Larry Ratso Soloman and producer John Lissauer to flesh out some semblance of a story-line.

The concert footage allows Cohen to be seen and heard in his element over the decades. It's an irony that Cohen only had a Billboard charted single -- after he passed away. It, of course, was “Hallelujah.”

Shortlisted for the 2022 Academy Award for Documentary (not nominated).