New Film 'Lennon Was Not Here' Explores The Beatles' Secret 1963 Tenerife Trip

The history of popular music is full of hidden stories, and a new film is set to uncover one of them. As reported by El Día, Tenerife-born filmmaker JuanMa V. Betancort has begun production on Lennon Was Not Here, a movie exploring a little-known chapter in The Beatles' history: their 1963 visit to Tenerife. The film acts as a musical road movie, connecting the band’s early days in Hamburg to their eventual rise to stardom in Liverpool, using their time on the island as a backdrop for the period just before "Beatlemania" took over the world.

The story follows a fictional search for Paul McCartney’s lost bass, which serves as a gateway to real historical events. The film highlights the time McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr spent at Klaus Voormann’s home in Los Realejos shortly after recording their debut album, Please Please Me. This trip, previously mentioned in the band's 2000 Anthology, was significant for the musicians; notably, it was where Harrison discovered a Ramírez Spanish guitar, an instrument he would later use on thirteen of the band's songs.

Filming recently took place at Lago Martiánez in Puerto de la Cruz, where the production team used the area’s well-preserved architecture to recreate the atmosphere of the 1960s. This Spanish-Argentine co-production features a unique cast, including Spanish music icons like Teddy Bautista, Pablo Carbonell, and Javier Gurruchaga, alongside actresses Isabelle Stoffel and Laura Martí.

The project has earned the support of international institutions, including the Beatles Museum in Liverpool. This partnership ensures the authenticity of the film’s props, such as the Austin-Healey Sprite the band used during their stay. With a soundtrack that tracks the band's evolution from early rock to psychedelia, the film aims to turn this piece of Canarian history into a must-watch for Beatles fans across the globe.