Peter Jackson: «The Beatles? Good guys but not very organized “

How is it possible that the Beatles decided to be filmed in their private speeches?
“This was one of the most difficult battles for them: on the one hand they had allowed Michael to follow and record them, so he was in fact behind the scenes of their career, but then they were anything but enthusiastic about it. Michael would shoot even when the band was convinced he wasn’t doing it, scatter hidden microphones around the studio, used all sorts of tricks to get unreleased material. The Beatles’ discontent, however, was not manifested directly, in the face, but in a more subtle way, for example when they wanted to chat about private matters they would start strumming with the guitar to cover the sounds. Today, however, we have a technology that is capable of extracting voices from those sounds and bringing them back to light. I am fascinated by their relationship: they paid Michael for the documentary but then in a long time only once they forbade him to film, he turned off the camera but not the microphone so he got the material anyway ».

How do you tell a myth without breaking it?
“We all have the conviction that we know the Beatles, but what I hope amazes about this docuseries is to see who the human beings are and not just the artists. They approach situations differently, have different aspirations and immediately understand the truth that then emerges behind the scenes. I got the idea that they are normal types, good guys. Finally, however, we do not look at them as a single package but as distinct personalities ».

How did the pandemic spend with them?
“In a damn year like this I was lucky to have the Beatles cheering me up and I thought it would be a nice Christmas present for other fans like me. I wanted to see people smile, make them feel better and I think I succeeded, according to the reactions received from the trailer ».

Why has the right time to tell them come?
“Finally there is a necessary distance from the facts to be able to bring them to light honestly. The surviving members of the band are no longer so obsessed with their images, it is as if they were ready to let them go, which does not mean telling the dirty laundry in public but bringing out a new side ».

Ringo Starr e Paul McCartney have they seen the docuseries?
«Yes… and the best gift they could give me is not to leave me any notes or requests for change. I was nervous, I admit, because on their part it took courage to expose themselves like that, but they found it a thorough job and this makes me very happy because I listened to all 150 hours of audio recordings. There could have been a risk that I would manipulate the material to summarize it, but what emerged is the desire for honesty about their work. Bringing the conversations to light clearly was truly splendid and I’m glad I didn’t cut out anything that wasn’t necessary. And if something can still be revealed, we still have at least fifty years to get back to it ».