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.
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.
Speaking about the project, Directors Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine explain, ‘This project began as a very specific exploration of “Hallelujah” and its international impact — whether to entertain (like the audiences who flocked to Shrek), commemorate life’s important moments at weddings and funerals or to serve as a communal healing, like the song’s use during the Covid-19 memorial service on the eve of the January 2021 Presidential inauguration.
When we took up our camera and microphone, it was originally to look at the song through the eyes of interviewees who had been involved with recording it (producer and arranger John Lissauer); singing it with Leonard Cohen himself (Sharon Robinson), or covering it on their own (Judy Collins, Brandi Carlile, Rufus Wainwright).
While those initial interviews proved we were on to an entertaining and captivating story, they also illuminated something deeper about the song itself and especially about the man who wrote it. We found ourselves needing to expand the film’s reach to include many of Leonard’s intimates — those who served as his emotional and spiritual counselors (Rabbi Mordecai Finley; Nancy Bacal, his childhood friend of nearly 80 years; his longtime girlfriend Dominique Issermann), as well as his intellectual sparring partners (Adrienne Clarkson; music writer Larry “Ratso” Sloman). These people, along with many others, speak in-depth and with firsthand knowledge about Cohen’s lifelong focus on the purpose and sanctity of the human condition.
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song gives voice to the deepest questions about faith, belief, skepticism, and the psychological and religious constructs that serve to both support and obstruct us throughout our lives — or as Leonard Cohen would call it, “the broken Hallelujah.”
The film is showing in NY ( Film Forum Triplex,209 W Houston St, and Walter Reade Theatre 65 W 65th St) and LA (Laemmle Royal
(11523 Santa Monica Blvd 1st floor), and will expand to theaters nationwide in the weeks to follow.
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