Julian Lennon: Whaledreamers
Interview by Executive Editor Nicole Holland
Winner of 8 international film festival awards and narrated by Julian Lennon and Jack Thompson, the eco-sensitive film whaledreamers, (courtesy of Monterey Media Inc. and Lonely Seal Releasing), addresses the spiritual bond that exists between whales, dolphins and the world’s indigenous peoples. This visually stunning film offers an incredible glimpse into a rarely seen and scarcely understood tribal culture whose entire story of creation revolves around whales and has endured for centuries.
On the film’s impending November 4th DVD release, IFQ spoke with producer and narrator Julian Lennon as he discussed the making of whaledreamers, spiritual moments, the re-recording of “Saltwater” and his personal message.
IFQ: Making the film was a personal odyssey for your friend and filmmaker Kim Kindersley. Through this film, at what moment did you discover your own spiritual roots? How and in what ways did it have an impact on you?
Julian Lennon: There have been many great moments. One that was particularly special was being given the sacred white feather from The Gathering. It has special meaning for me, but I would prefer if people found out by watching the film. I don’t want to give that away. During the research of the film, Kim was in Malibu and there was a whale and her baby out in the bay in front of his house. That same day, I was out on a boat near where I live and we were surrounded by a pod of dolphins. One of them just looked right through me. It’s those sorts of things that make us feel more connected to something so much bigger than ourselves. For me, it’s very personal and, of course, ongoing.
IFQ: Can you tell me about your friendship with Kindersley? Did you work with Kindersley on the promotional film that received the attention of Bunna Lawrie? From what I understand, you wrote scripts with Kindersley in the past, right?
JL: Yes, that’s true. We were working on a script called Eyes of the Soul, a sort of oceanic Baraka! I have known him since 1980, so nearly 30 years. We have a connection from his uncle, who died in the ’60s, and my father. Fun was had in the early ’80s in London, that’s for sure. After that, our lives went in different directions when I was doing the music thing in the states, but we always kept in touch. We care about the same sorts of things, so the friendship endures.
IFQ: What was your first reaction when Kindersley approached you with the concept of the film? Did you come on board during the beginning of the project?
JL: Kim was working with me on Eyes of the Soul, so we were already working together on that and it was from the research on that that this particular story emerged. It was the plight of the Mirning that got my attention. To begin with, it was supposed to be just about that, but I guess over time, it sort of expanded into what it is today. It was a very organic process and difficult at times. We had to take a leap of faith into the unknown. It wasn’t like we said, right this is the film, and then did it. It evolved as we went along, and in fact, expanded into the story it is today because of what is going on in the bigger picture.
IFQ: You re-recorded “Saltwater” with aboriginal chants for the whaledreamers film and soundtrack. Also, you pledged 100% of all proceeds from “Saltwater” directly to Greenpeace. When did you start your involvement with Greenpeace and why?
JL: Again, that sort of evolved with the piece. It just made sense given the subject matter to redo the song with Bunna, who has these special ancient whale chants. I have been a fan of Greenpeace, for obvious reasons, for years, so it was nice to put something in the mix for them. It’s a good fit and we need to do as much as we can to support people who are dedicated to saving the oceans and the planet, as a whole.
IFQ: How did you go about recording the aboriginal chants that’s used in the song?
JL: We got Bunna to chant in caves during filming and then got him back in the studio to really get the right feel. I’m very happy with the way it turned out.
IFQ: You said, “Indigenous wisdom has never been more relevant for humanity than now.” What message do you hope that the film’s viewers understand and apply to their own lives?
JL: The main one is that we have to come back into balance with nature and the natural world. We are taking too much and there are too many of us. We need to urgently redress this balance before it is too late. The indigenous people understand this so well.
IFQ: You said that you thought it is extremely important this day in age to reconnect with our past and all the different cultures can give us a great deal of wealth and understanding about this planet that we live on. With the uncertainty in the world’s economy, war in the world, global warming and the future of humanity, what would you like your personal message to be?
JL: Stay true to your heart and never give up hope. As the film says, we are in this together. All we have to do is roll up our sleeves and get to it. We know what to do, so let’s just do it. It’s never too late.
IFQ: How did you get Jack Thompson, Pierce Brosnan, John Hurt and Geoffrey Rush to participate in the film?
JL: Between us, we have some good friends in the business. These are all people who really care about the world and what is happening in it. The scene with Pierce was shot when Kim was down in Panama doing another shoot for Planet Ark. Pierce and the others agreed to do the ceremony for our friend, in the film, who was murdered. The ceremony was during their lunch break, hence the formal costumes.
IFQ: You teamed up with Monterey Media, which is an independent studio. What’s your opinion on independent film vs. studio film?
JL: Thank God for Monterey Media; they are doing a fantastic job. It is a very difficult time for independent film. Many more films like this should be made and seen. Unfortunately, the bigger studios just keep churning out the same tired old nonsense. Wouldn’t it be great if they actually reflected back to us that we have some issues that need sorting on the planet, but we live in hope!
IFQ: Your documentary is the winner of 8 international film festival awards. Can you tell me about your experience on the film festival circuit?
JL: It was a long circuit and I was busy recording my new album, but I was happy to accept the Best overall film award in Monaco. Donovan gave us the award, and it was a great celebration with a great lineup of other films, including one on the Rainbow Warrior.
IFQ: How did your documentary secure distribution through Lonely Seal Releasing?
JL: We met them down at Cannes through David Blake. Hammad Zaidi and Grant Raynham are passionate people who care about indigenous wisdom and film. We expect them to do all our foreign deals in the next few months now. We have gone theatrical in Australia and New Zealand, which is exciting. We believe that there is a great market for the film in European countries, Japan and South America. They seem to be a very capable company, so we will see what happens.
For more information, please visit: http://www.whaledreamers.com/
http://www.montereymedia.com/theatrical/films/whaledreamers.html
*Photo Courtesy of Monterey Media Inc.