Poet Leonard Cohen met mother and muse Marianne Ihlen on the idyllic Greek island of Hydra in 1960. The ill-fated lovers began their affair amidst a bohemian community of foreign artists, writers and musicians. The film follows their love affair from those early days, an experimental time of open relations and the cross-pollination of creative disciplines, across its evolution and eventual disintegration as Cohen found increasing success as a musician. Veteran British documentary director Nick Broomfield chronicles the highs and lows of Cohen’s career, and the inspirational power Marianne continued to possess till both their deaths in 2016, just three months apart.

“It's an entertaining flashback to an always-diverting countercultural epoch, with a touching footnote of a semi-famous love story at its center.” —Dennis Harvey, Variety

“A lovely illustration of the twists and turns of a complicated relationship that produced some of the gifted songwriter's most indelible songs...The abundant affection Broomfield feels for Marianne is evident in every frame…” —Steve Pond, TheWrap

“Broomfield makes the case that they remained each other’s greatest influence, deftly drawing lines from Hydra and Marianne to Leonard’s music and stardom...it has a cumulative emotional power, especially if you love Cohen’s work.” —Brian Tallerico, rogerebert.com

The Belcourt Theatre does not provide advisories about subject matter or potential triggering content, as sensitivities vary from person to person.

Beyond the synopses, trailers and review links on our website, other sources of information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media and IMDb, as well as through general internet searches.

Visit the Official Website