🎬 War Is Over short film

[LordGoodgod]

Equal parts powerful and poignant. This film really captures the meaning and spirit of the song and enhances it times ten! So grateful for the chance to finally see it, and I look forward to watching it again and again. Viewing this is definitely going to be a yearly tradition, along with reading the storybook.

 

[Sean]

Thanks for watching guys!

 

[LordGoodgod]

Thanks for watching guys!

Thank YOU for all of the work and time invested into this project!! It was a total joy to finally view it, and to share it live with friends and fans in the global community was especially fun!

 

[LetTheFourWindsBlow]

Truly a stunning short film.
I adored the gorgeous animation!! Beautiful story. I especially appreciate the lack of dialogue and emphasis on action/expressions. Well done, @Sean and all involved.

 

[Brian Of Nazareth]

I was so floored by the whole things I’ve written my thoughts! Hope you don’t mind. What a beautifully poignant story.

I’ve just watched War Is Over, and it honestly left me a bit speechless. There’s something incredibly moving about seeing Sean take the message his parents created together and carry it forward in such a powerful, creative way. You can feel John’s heart in it, but you can also feel Yoko’s presence just as strongly from her clarity, to her vision, that belief that peace begins with the choices we make.

The chess theme absolutely floored me. Knowing it was inspired by Yoko’s white-on-white chessboard piece adds an entire layer of meaning. That original artwork, a game where everyone is on the same side, becomes the emotional backbone of the film. Watching soldiers literally “move” pieces for each other in the middle of chaos just hits differently when you understand the history behind it. It turns the whole story into a quiet meditation on connection, perspective, and how pointless conflict really is when you strip it back to the human level.

The animation is stunning, every frame filled with care. The story is simple yet painfully relevant. Two people realising, even for a moment, that their shared humanity matters more than the war around them. No lecturing, no preaching, just pure heart. The pigeon at the end nearly had me .

What I love most is how authentic it feels. It carries John and Yoko’s message forward without copying it, and it carries Sean’s voice without overshadowing theirs. It’s hopeful, emotional, and beautifully made.

I finished it feeling grateful it exists, and grateful that the message they started decades ago is still evolving in the most thoughtful hands possible.

It really is set up for the next generation to take this message and keep it going. I can’t wait to show my students this tomorrow!

Thanks again @Sean and @Good Dog Nigel

 

[Yokofan]

WAR IS OVER!​

Film Premiere - 1 December - 6pm UK - 1pm NY - 11am LA.

Donate to Warchild → https://www.warchild.org.uk/donate-war-is-over-film
Join us on 1 December at 6pm UK - 1pm NY - 11am LA - here on the John Lennon YouTube channel to watch the World Premiere of the Academy-Award winning animated short film WAR IS OVER! - Inspired by the music of John & Yoko - and help raise donations for the charity Warchild.

Sean Ono Lennon says: In 2023, I worked with Dave Mullins and Brad Booker on an animated short film called WAR IS OVER! - about a wartime carrier pigeon delivering messages across the battlefield between two chess-playing soldiers - which I'm delighted to say, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. At 6pm on 1 December this year, we are Premiering the film on YouTube and simultaneously raising donations for the charity WARCHILD throughout the holiday season. We would be honoured if you would help us spread the word about the film and John & Yoko's timeless message - that 'War is over if you want it’.

Helen Pattinson, CEO of War Child UK says: “I want to thank Sean Ono Lennon, Yoko Ono, Dave Mullins, Brad Booker, Thomas Newman, the John Lennon Estate and all the brilliant people who have come together to create this powerful film. It is an incredibly moving piece of art that shines a light on the tragic consequences of war, which remain all too real in the world today. Their creativity and compassion, as well as that of John and Yoko, continues to help us tell the stories of hundreds-of-millions of children whose lives are being torn apart by conflict, many of whom are currently facing the added dangers of bitter cold, hunger and displacement. Right now, as temperatures drop in places like Gaza, Afghanistan and Ukraine, families are struggling to stay warm and keep their children safe. Every donation helps us to deliver lifesaving support, from safe spaces and specialist psychological care, to emergency support for essentials like heating fuel and food. This winter, it is not the thought that counts, but action. Together, we can give children the protection, warmth and hope that they deserve.”

WAR IS OVER!
Set in an alternate WWI reality where a senseless war rages on, two soldiers on opposite sides of the conflict play a game of chess. A heroic carrier pigeon delivers the soldiers’ chess moves over the battlefield as the fighting escalates. Neither soldier knows his opponent as the game and the war builds to its climatic final move. Whoever wins the game, one thing is for certain: there are no winners in war.

Written by Sean Ono Lennon and Dave Mullins, it features John Lennon & Yoko Ono’s iconic anti-war holiday song ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’. Directed by Dave Mullins, Produced by Brad Booker and Exec Produced by Yoko Ono Lennon and Sean Ono Lennon with music by Thomas Newman, the film has been created as a co-production of Lenono Music, ElectroLeague, Lightstorm Entertainment, WētāFX and Epic Games. It won the 2024 Academy Award (Oscar) and the ANNIE Award for Best Animated Short.

Special thanks to our collaborators - The Beatles, Elton John, Mark Ronson, Chess.com, Cumulus Media, WētāFX, Lightstorm Entertainment, Unreal Engine, Warchild, UMR, UMe, UMG, Penguin Random House.

Love the film. Touching, great twists, wonderful animation.

 

[Stardust]

I love the fact War is Over takes place in WW1.
I am very interested in the history of that time period.

The events that occur are so senseless and sad because it’s war. I love the way all the characters, including the pigeon, come together. And the chess game, bringing people who don’t know each other together, is perfect.

I am very sensitive, and I literally cried watching this film. Before I saw this film, I wondered how an animated film was going to successfully incorporate Happy Xmas (War is Over,) and be original at the same time, but this film easily accomplishes that and more. Also the animation and sound is flawless, and I felt like I was actually in the movie it was so realistic.

Today I received my postcard in the mail and it was another happy moment in my life today.

Thank you to everyone who made it possible for us to experience it. Peace and Love!

 

[JoBeatles]

War is Over...my thoughts: The animation is truly amazing. The backgrounds look very realistic - almost photographic. The pigeon, Julia, is amazing in beauty and character - proving once again that animals are so much better than humans. It's a truly gorgeous film with a message that is timeless and speaks so well to the times we are currently in. I wish this could be seen by the entire world because war could be over if EVERYONE wanted it.

 

[Sean]

I was so floored by the whole things I’ve written my thoughts! Hope you don’t mind. What a beautifully poignant story.

I’ve just watched War Is Over, and it honestly left me a bit speechless. There’s something incredibly moving about seeing Sean take the message his parents created together and carry it forward in such a powerful, creative way. You can feel John’s heart in it, but you can also feel Yoko’s presence just as strongly from her clarity, to her vision, that belief that peace begins with the choices we make.

The chess theme absolutely floored me. Knowing it was inspired by Yoko’s white-on-white chessboard piece adds an entire layer of meaning. That original artwork, a game where everyone is on the same side, becomes the emotional backbone of the film. Watching soldiers literally “move” pieces for each other in the middle of chaos just hits differently when you understand the history behind it. It turns the whole story into a quiet meditation on connection, perspective, and how pointless conflict really is when you strip it back to the human level.

The animation is stunning, every frame filled with care. The story is simple yet painfully relevant. Two people realising, even for a moment, that their shared humanity matters more than the war around them. No lecturing, no preaching, just pure heart. The pigeon at the end nearly had me .

What I love most is how authentic it feels. It carries John and Yoko’s message forward without copying it, and it carries Sean’s voice without overshadowing theirs. It’s hopeful, emotional, and beautifully made.

I finished it feeling grateful it exists, and grateful that the message they started decades ago is still evolving in the most thoughtful hands possible.

It really is set up for the next generation to take this message and keep it going. I can’t wait to show my students this tomorrow!

Thanks again @Sean and @Good Dog Nigel

Really beautiful Brian thank you!

 

[JaneSmith]

The film was incredibly emotional, without a doubt, it was beautiful and very special lol, I cried throughout almost the entire film, especially when the dove died. I loved the fact that Sean gave it the fact that Julia's name was inspired by her grandmother was probably what affected me the most when I learned that, but everything was beautiful A fantastic and wonderful piece of work, I don't know how the boys managed to create such a masterpiece

 

[JaneSmith]

Thanks for watching guys!

Thank you to you and the guys for such an incredible job, it's been the best thing I've seen so far, without a doubt