Watch John Lennon pour his emotions into his performance during his first concert after the Beatles (Exclusive).

      The new documentary One to One: John & Yoko explores a fascinating period in the lives of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. At this point, Lennon has departed from the Beatles, is organizing a significant benefit concert for children with special needs, and is consuming a great deal of American television.

      The film details the 18 months leading up to the One to One benefit concert at Madison Square Garden on August 30, 1972, an event organized by Lennon and Ono to raise funds for children at the Willowbrook State School.

      In an exclusive clip featured above, Lennon performs “Mother,” a song reflecting his feelings of abandonment by both his parents. His father, Alf, left when Lennon was an infant, while his mother, Julia, was not present for most of his upbringing and tragically died in a car accident in 1958 when Lennon was 17.

      Lennon's haunting performance begins with him lamenting: “Mother, you had me/ but I never had you,” and his raw emotion intensifies throughout the piece.

      One to One Offers a Distinct Perspective on John Lennon and Yoko Ono

      While there have been numerous documentaries about John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and The Beatles, One to One, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin MacDonald, presents a distinctive viewpoint. It aims to immerse viewers in their thoughts during the early 1970s by highlighting the television shows they watched.

      In 1971, Lennon and Ono resided in a small apartment in Greenwich Village, New York City, and were avid viewers of American television during a time when only three networks existed.

      This limited selection allows MacDonald to draw sensible conclusions regarding what they were exposed to, including the Vietnam War, The Price is Right, President Richard Nixon, Coca-Cola commercials, Walter Cronkite, and The Waltons. The inspiration for the One to One concert even stemmed from a Geraldo Rivera exposé, when he was recognized for his investigative journalism.

      See Also: Watch Paul McCartney Improvise ‘Get Back’ in Peter Jackson’s Beatles Documentary

      The documentary has received favorable reviews, emphasizing its ability to connect audiences more intimately with its subjects compared to previous films. MacDonald has meticulously recreated the interior of Lennon and Ono’s Greenwich Village apartment, enabling viewers to feel at home with the couple.

      The film centers on a particularly intriguing and often overlooked time in their lives, as they sought to redefine their identities both personally and as a couple after the breakup of The Beatles, amid intense scrutiny of Ono, who faced unfounded accusations of causing the band's dissolution.

      Lennon's activism against the Vietnam War—including his notable 1969 “bed-in” peace demonstration with Ono—made him a target for the Nixon Administration, which attempted for three years to deport him back to England.

      From 1973 to 1975, Lennon and Ono experienced an 18-month separation, during which he divided his time between New York and Los Angeles, collaborating with artists like Harry Nilsson, Elton John, and David Bowie.

      They eventually reunited, and in October 1975, they welcomed a son, Sean Lennon.

      Lennon took a five-year hiatus from public music but returned in 1980 to work with Ono on the album Double Fantasy. Tragically, he was shot and killed by Mark David Chapman just three weeks after the album's release while returning to their apartment in the Dakota building. He was only 40 at the time of his death.

      Yoko Ono, now 92, continues to live on.

      One to One: John & Yoko is currently available for viewing on demand from Magnolia Home Entertainment and HBO Documentary Films.

      Main image: John Lennon in One to One: John & Yoko. Magnolia Home Entertainment and HBO Documentary Films.