Very Short List this week selected a beautifully animated short that came with an even better backstory: The news today, oh boy!
"Thirty-nine years ago, a 14-year-old named Jerry Levitan managed to talk his way into John Lennon’s Toronto hotel room. Impressed by the kid’s chutzpah, Lennon obliged him with a five-minute chat that covered war, peace, and the newly arrived Bee Gees."
Five minutes doesn't sound like much had not Lennon been at the top of his game that day in 1969: Not only did he treat the teenage Levitan with utter respect, he managed to casually share clever insight with remarkable precision. As we listen to Lennon's enlightened thoughts about the powers of non-violence & humor and the peaceful action they generate, time stands still, stretching a few moments into one lasting profound experience.
Thanks to the young reporter who taped the conversation, we can now share this personal memory with him:
"Last year, Levitan teamed up with filmmaker Josh Raskin to make “I Met the Walrus” — a charming animated film that turns Lennon’s thoughts into concrete images. The results are trippy but cogent, and no less interesting than what the Beatle had to say. Lennon himself would have loved it."
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