This 2022 biographical documentary about Leonard Cohen’s life and career pivots on the creation of his song “Hallelujah.” The song becomes the prism through which a light is shone on Cohen’s evolution as a poet and a singer-songwriter speaking of his artistic vision and his own deeper search for the meaning of life.

Cohen worked on this song for many years, and originally no record company wanted to publish it. It became known when singers like Bob Dylan and Jeff Buckley covered it; the animated film Shrek later helped make it known globally.

Leonard Cohen clearly ranks among the great poets and thinkers of the 20th century. He wrote about the profound themes of faith, love, war, and mortality. Of Jewish descent, his search for the ultimate answers also brought him to Buddhism, within which he lived ordained as a monk for five years.

The film was a highlight at the Venice Film Festival in 2021 and has been called the ultimate documentary about Leonard Cohen.

Watch the first seven minutes here, and you will want to see it all.

The documentary can be streamed or purchased from various platforms.

Related:

Official film website

Leonard Cohen on Wikipedia

Leonard Cohen’s Prince Of Asturias Speech

Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, from Justin Timberlake to Shrek (BBC, 2016)

I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen (Biography by Sylvie Simmons)