"Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man"

Leonard Cohen, to me, is about as gifted a writer and poet that the world has ever laid witness to. He waits patiently for years for the right words to come. As Edge says in the movie, "He reminds us of the days in early Christianity when people would wall themselves off for years. They felt to hear God's voice you had to go somewhere very quiet." Well Leonard Cohen has been going somewhere very quiet for a long time. And he has been generous enough to bring back the words and beauty he found in that quiet place and share them with all of us.

When I first screened the film at the Toronto Film Festival it was very emotional and a lot of people wept. I thought that was because I was in Canada, Leonard's own country and place of birth. But whilst in Sundance the same thing happened, which really took me by surprise. There is such a great beauty and blinding honest humility to Leonard's work that I think some people are struck by. It strikes a chord deep inside them and reminds of something they miss or long for.

I think all the best documentary films are the ones that let the story speak for itself, without the manipulation of the film-maker telling the audience what to think. Unless the subject is true and compelling, it doesn't matter how good a filmmaker you are, there will be something that does not ring true.

The music producing genius that is Hal Willner had told me he was doing this tribute concert centered around Leonard Cohen. I had seen a few of Hal's other tribute shows and there is nothing quite like them. Hal has this very unique gift of putting a performer with a particular song that just creates a new world for it. I knew when I heard some of these songs by these extremely talented musicians that it really should be captured...If only I could include Leonard Cohen...

Leonard Cohen is an extremely private man, but I eventually got to meet him and we both began to get to know each other. The film then really evolved out of that. Anybody who has made a film knows how hard it is. But when you get to immerse yourself in worlds filled with greatness and Godliness, then all the hardships fall away. It becomes about enrichment and grace when you have found yourself as a filmmaker lying at the feet of the truly blessed and gifted ones.

U2 had very early on in this project given me their blessing and told me that they would be a part of this film in some way. They were not quite sure what that way was going to be. They were also on a very hectic schedule and tour. But I was a making a film that was about paying tribute to Leonard Cohen their hero, so they moved mountains to make sure that they were going to be a part of that...somehow.

I filmed their participation in the midst of that tour in a beautiful little burlesque supper club in New York City called the Slipper Room. Now this was one of their only days off. Not to mention all of their crew who were also there. This was their day off, too. How that day went was a true testament to the beauty and wonder of Leonard Cohen. Every person in the room was really humbled by getting to see Leonard Cohen himself perform that day.

A lot of people have asked how Icon got to be involved with this project. Mel Gibson is an old friend of mine but, more importantly, a huge Leonard Cohen fan. Mel was the person who initially set up my meeting with Lionsgate Films. He could see that I really wanted to make this film and this was not the sort of project that his own company, Icon, did, so he helped me find a company that wanted to take this on.

And that was Lionsgate. It was brave of them to take on and support a project like this. But I think they too also wanted to be a part of paying homage to the truly gifted master that is Leonard Cohen.

It's a great sign for film-makers when you see that happen. At the end of the day, it really is all about the subject.

Lian Lunson is a producer/director of music videos whose credits include a music video and short documentary for Willie Nelson.