Patch Blog: Q&A with 'The U.S. vs. John Lennon' Filmmaker

“The U.S. vs. John Lennon,” the compelling and provocative story of the late singer-songwriter’s evolution from beloved Beatle to outspoken artist to iconic anti-war activist will be screened in the on Thursday, July 19 at 7:00 p.m.

The film uses archival footage and Lennon’s music, some of it unreleased, to explore the US government’s attempts to stifle his humanitarian causes. The acclaimed film documents how Lennon, during one of the most tumultuous times in American history, refused to be silenced and stood his ground. 

The free event will also feature an introduction and a Q&A by Co-Director John Scheinfeld, who presented his award-winning documentary “Who Is Harry Nilsson” to an enthusiastic full house in the Community Room in 2010.

The program is co-sponsored by the South Pasadena Public Library and the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library.

The cast of commentators in the film includes such notable media and political figures as Carl Bernstein, Walter Cronkite, Mario Cuomo, John Dean, George McGovern, Geraldo Rivera, Bobby Seale, Tom Smothers, and Gore Vidal. Released by Lionsgate in 2006, and Co-Directed by David Leaf, “The U.S. VS. John Lennon“
premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was an official selection of the
Telluride Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival, and the London Film Festival. It has also been shown numerous times on VH-1.

Acclaimed writer/director John Scheinfeld was recently called “the premier director of popular culture bios on music icons.” The GRAMMY® and EMMY® nominee has tackled many music legends in his illustrious career including the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bette Midler, Nat King Cole, and many others.  He is currently working on “The King of Rock and Roll,” the first feature film biopic on Elvis Presley that is slated for theatrical release in 2012.

According to Scheinfeld, “It’s rare to find a largely unknown story about someone as famous as John Lennon. But after reading secret FBI files released under the Freedom of Information Act, it became an obsession for my colleague David Leaf and me to reveal the extent to which the US government went to neutralize John Lennon. It took us seven years to get it financed, but the result is a film of which
we’re extraordinarily proud. To this day not a week goes by when I don’t
encounter someone who was deeply touched after seeing it in theaters or on
DVD.”

The Community Room is located at 1115 El Centro Street in South Pasadena. No tickets or reservations are necessary. Refreshments will be served. DVD copies
of “The U.S. VS. John Lennon” will be available for purchase at a signing
table at the conclusion of the program.