New Film Explores Beatles' 1963 Tenerife Visit in 'Lennon Was Not Here'
Production has begun on Lennon Was Not Here, a Spanish-Argentine musical comedy-drama that explores the 1963 visit of three Beatles members to Tenerife while following a quest to save a struggling museum.
The Spanish film industry is shining a light on a little-known chapter of pop culture history: the 1963 visit of three Beatles members to Tenerife. Filmmaker JuanMa V. Betancort has begun production on Lennon Was Not Here, a musical comedy-drama centered on this trip.
A co-production between Spain and Argentina, the film is backed by the Canary Islands government, the Cabildo of Tenerife, local city councils, Televisión Canaria, and the Beatles Museum in Liverpool. The story follows two characters, Astrid and Isabel (played by Isabel Stoffel and Laura Martí), as they hunt for Paul McCartney’s first bass guitar to save a struggling Beatles museum in Germany from bankruptcy.
The production team, which began filming on September 7, is focusing on the north of Tenerife. Puerto de la Cruz was chosen as a primary location for its well-preserved 1960s aesthetic. The film also features authentic historical details, including original correspondence and the actual Austin Healey Sprite driven by George Harrison and Ringo Starr during their time on the islands.
The cast includes well-known names such as Pablo Carbonell, Anabel Alonso, Teddy Bautista, Javier Gurruchaga, and Natalia Verbeke, alongside Agustina Palma and Nicolás Scarpino. In October, the crew will head to Liverpool and Hamburg to film, linking the band’s time in the Atlantic to the iconic cities that shaped their careers.
Beyond boosting the local film industry, the project highlights the Canary Islands as a versatile filming location. By blending Tenerife’s landscapes with the history of European rock, the film offers a unique look at how cultural heritage can drive modern storytelling.