George Harrison: Living in the Material World

Plot

The film follows music legend George Harrison's story from his early life in Liverpool, the Beatlemania phenomenon, his travels to India, the influence of Krishna Consciousness movement in his music, and his relevance and importance as a member of The Beatles. It consists of previously unseen footage and interviews with Olivia and Dhani Harrison, friends, and many others.

Production

After Harrison's death in 2001, various production companies approached his widow Olivia about producing a film about her late husband's life. She declined because he had wanted to tell his own life story through his video archive. Upon meeting Scorsese, she gave her blessings and signed on to the film project as a producer.

According to Scorsese, he was attracted to the project because "That subject matter has never left me...The more you're in the material world, the more there is a tendency for a search for serenity and a need to not be distracted by physical elements that are around you. His music is very important to me, so I was interested in the journey that he took as an artist. The film is an exploration. We don't know. We're just feeling our way through."

Throughout 2008 and 2009, Scorsese alternated working between Shutter Island and the documentary. Scorsese, his editor David Tedeschi, and a small army of researchers spent five years assembling interviews, music, film clips, photos, and memorabilia.

The documentary premièred at the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology in Liverpool on 2 October 2011. It was shown on HBO in two parts on 5 and 6 October 2011 in the United States and Canada and as a two part Arena special on BBC Two on 12 and 13 November 2011 in the United Kingdom.

Deluxe Edition CD

All songs written by George Harrison, except where noted.

1. "My Sweet Lord" (Demo) – 3:33
2. "Run of the Mill" (Demo) – 1:56
3. "I'd Have You Anytime" (Early Take) (George Harrison, Bob Dylan) – 3:06
4. "Mama, You've Been on My Mind" (Demo) (Bob Dylan) – 3:04
5. "Let It Be Me" (Demo) (Gilbert Bécaud, Mann Curtis, Pierre Delanoë) – 2:56
6. "Woman Don't You Cry for Me" (Early Take) – 2:44
7. "Awaiting on You All" (Early Take) – 2:40
8. "Behind That Locked Door" (Demo) – 3:29
9. "All Things Must Pass" (Demo) – 4:38
10. "The Light That Has Lighted the World" (Demo) – 2:23

Book

Olivia Harrison co-authored (with Mark Holborn) and Scorsese wrote the forward for the book Living in the Material World: George Harrison, released in 2011.

Awards

The documentary earned two Primetime Emmy Awards, Outstanding Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming for director Martin Scorsese. It also earned nominations for Outstanding Cinematography, Picture Editing, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing.