Woodstock VT Film Series: Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song

Directed by Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine. 118 minutes. Rated PG-13.
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The Saturday screening will be followed by a discussion with the music writer, Alan Light, and Film Series Curator Jay Craven.

A deep-dive into the eponymous iconic hymn, Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song chronicles the life of legendary musician Leonard Cohen, whose poetry evolved into a successful career as a singer-songwriter. Inspired by the book The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of Hallelujah by Alan Light, Leonard’s story is told here by those who knew and loved him, including record executive Clive Davis and collaborator Judy Collins, who chart Leonard’s life, from his beginnings as a child from a wealthy family in Montreal through his multi-year stint in a Zen monastery—as a man and an artist. 

The film spotlights the writing, recording, and singing of the song “Hallelujah” and its ever-evolving lyrics, performed here by a multitude of artists, including Bono, Rufus Wainwright, Bob Dylan and k.d. lang, a song that’s been sung everywhere from weddings and funerals to Coachella and movie soundtracks.

“A rousing portrait of the power of expression, something that Leonard Cohen perfected more than most songwriters that ever lived.” – Roger Ebert.com