WATCH THE ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Watch the Trailer (above) from November 13th, 6pm UK / 1pm NY / 11am LA.
The Academy-Award winning animated short film will Premiere globally on the John Lennon YouTube on December 1st, 6pm UK / 1pm NY / 11am LA.
Join us & help raise donations for Warchild.
Sean Ono Lennon says: In 2003, I worked with Dave Mullins and Brad Booker on an animated short film called WAR IS OVER! – about a wartime carrier pigeon delivering messages across the battlefield between two chess-playing soldiers – which I”m delighted to say, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. At 6pm on 1 December this year we are Premiering the film on YouTube and simultaneously raising donations for the charity WARCHILD throughout the holiday season. We would be honoured if you would help us spread the word about the film and John & Yoko’s timeless message – that ‘War is over if you want it’.
Helen Pattinson, CEO of War Child UK says: “I want to thank Sean Ono Lennon, Yoko Ono, Dave Mullins, Brad Booker, Thomas Newman, the John Lennon Estate and all the brilliant people who have come together to create this powerful film. It is an incredibly moving piece of art that shines a light on the tragic consequences of war, which remain all too real in the world today. Their creativity and compassion, as well as that of John and Yoko, continues to help us tell the stories of hundreds-of-millions of children whose lives are being torn apart by conflict, many of whom are currently facing the added dangers of bitter cold, hunger and displacement. Right now, as temperatures drop in places like Gaza, Afghanistan and Ukraine, families are struggling to stay warm and keep their children safe. Every donation helps us to deliver lifesaving support, from safe spaces and specialist psychological care, to emergency support for essentials like heating fuel and food. This winter, it is not the thought that counts, but action. Together, we can give children the protection, warmth and hope that they deserve.”
WAR IS OVER!
Set in an alternate WWI reality where a senseless war rages on, two soldiers on opposite sides of the conflict play a game of chess. A heroic carrier pigeon delivers the soldiers’ chess moves over the battlefield as the fighting escalates. Neither soldier knows his opponent as the game and the war builds to its climatic final move. Whoever wins the game, one thing is for certain: there are no winners in war.
Written by Sean Ono Lennon and Dave Mullins, it features John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s iconic anti-war holiday song ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’.
Directed by Dave Mullins, Produced by Brad Booker and Exec Produced by Yoko Ono Lennon and Sean Ono Lennon with music by Thomas Newman, the film has been created as a co-production of Lenono Music, ElectroLeague, Lightstorm Entertainment, WētāFX and Epic Games. It won the 2024 Academy Award (Oscar) and the ANNIE Award for Best Animated Short.
READ THE PICTURE BOOK
A picture book adaptation of the Oscar-winning animated short film, written by Brad Booker, Dave Mullins and Sean Ono Lennon, illustrated by Max Narciso, inspired by the song by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The perfect holiday gift for children of all ages. Out Nov 4th. Preorder Now.
WATCH THE JOHN & YOKO FILM
Download, print & display these posters in your window, school, workplace, car and elsewhere.
Post them on your Social Media feeds.
Send them as postcards to your friends.
We say it in so many ways, but we are one.
I love you!
Yoko Ono Lennon
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Dear Friends,
The WAR IS OVER! campaign was once a tiny seed, which spread and covered the Earth.
John and I believed it helped many people to stop their wars. Since then, every WAR IS OVER! campaign has impacted the world as powerfully as the first one.
Start yours tomorrow, and you will see that it spreads and covers the world very fast and, meanwhile, makes you a Small Pebble Person.
Small Pebble People are people who know that small pebbles, when they’re dropped in the ocean, will immediately affect the ocean of the whole wide world.
Don’t throw a big stone. It scares people and creates repercussions.
Just drop a small pebble.
We’ll keep doing it. Together.
That’s how the world gets changed…by Small Pebble People.
We change, and the world changes.
Happy Holidays.
I love you!
Yoko Ono Lennon
When we stick posters around saying, “WAR IS OVER – If You Want It”, what we’re trying to promote is an awareness in people of how much power they have, and not to rely on the government, or leaders, or teachers so much that they’re all passive or automatons. They have to have new hope.
Everybody’s looking for goals and answers; the youth especially.
What we’re trying to tell them is that “You are the goal. Nobody on earth can do it for you. Whatever it is you want, you must do it yourself.”
John Lennon, 1969
The WAR IS OVER! campaign was originally launched by John Lennon and Yoko Ono on 15th December, 1969.
Billboards with the inscription “WAR IS OVER! IF YOU WANT IT Happy Christmas from John & Yoko” were placed in 11 cities worldwide: New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Rome, Athens, Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
Along with these billboards leaflets were distributed, posters plastered up, newspaper advertisements placed and radio announcements made.
When John was asked how much the billboards cost, he replied “I don’t know – but it is cheaper than someone’s life.”
To launch the campaign, on December 15, 1969 John played at a “Peace For Christmas” charity concert, held at the Lyceum Theatre on behalf of the United Nations Children’s Fund.
Behind the stage a huge “War Is Over” billboard was erected. John had got together the nucleus of the Plastic Ono Band-Alan White on drums and Klaus Voormann; bass, and he had asked George Harrison, who had been performing with Delaney and Bonnie, to come join them. Right up to the last minute we didn’t know if he would come. From the miniscule upstairs dressing room at the Lyceum, I called to find out what was happening, and was informed that everybody was on the way. Ten minutes later George appeared along with Eric Clapton, the complete Delaney and Bonnie Band, Billy Preston, and Keith Moon.
“War Is Over” was an effective campaign and the culmination of John and Yoko’s attempt at media saturation. Its very internationalism was impressive and the billboards drew positive response from the public in every city.
by Antony Fawcett, former PA to John & Yoko, from his book ‘One Day At A Time’.
Howard Smith interview with John & Yoko at Ronnie Hawkins’ Ranch, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, 17 Dec 1969.
John & Yoko detail their new campaign for peace, discuss a week they spent earlier in the month with camera crews for two British documentaries, a newly released live album, and a benefit concert they had recently played in London.
Just two days prior, posters had been put up in 12 cities around the world bearing this enduring, simple message: “WAR IS OVER! – IF YOU WANT IT – Happy Christmas from John & Yoko”.
Happy Christmas Kyoko
Happy Christmas Julian
So this is Christmas and what have you done?
Another year over and a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one, the old and the young
A very merry Christmas and a happy new year
Lets hope it’s a good one without any fear
And so this is Christmas for weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones, the road is so long
And so happy Christmas for black and for white
For yellow and red ones, let’s stop all the fight
A very merry Christmas and a happy new year
Lets hope it’s a good one without any fear
And so this is Christmas and what have we done
Another year over and a new one just begun
And so happy Christmas we hope you have fun
The near and the dear one, the old and the young
A very merry Christmas and a happy new year
Lets hope it’s a good one without any fear
War is over if you want it
War is over now.
© Lenono Music/Ono Music administered by Downtown Music Publishing. © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC.
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