John Lennon and Yoko Ono make Apotheosis 2

John Lennon and Yoko Ono had made a film titled Apotheosis in September 1969. Three months later they made a sequel.

As with its predecessor, Apotheosis 2 featured a helium balloon ascending in the sky. Their assistant Nic Knowland agreed to go up in the balloon with a camera and soundman, filming Lennon and Ono huddled together, covered in a large black cape, as the balloon went further skyward.

Filming took place at dusk, as opposed to the early morning setting of Apotheosis. The balloon was launched from snow-covered countryside in Lavenham in Suffolk. The resulting film also contained some unused helicopter footage from Apotheosis.

Knowland shot footage of Lennon and Ono sitting by a bonfire as the balloon rose from the ground. The scene was also filmed by a crew from the BBC 1 documentary 24 Hours: The World Of John And Yoko, who had been following the Lennons for the previous three days.

Last updated: 3 March 2023
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