New movie about the love affair between Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ihlen – NRK Culture and Entertainment

Leonard Cohen has been for many years in a relationship with Norwegian artist Marianne Ihlen.

Marianne Ihlen has, among other things, inspired some of Cohen's most famous songs, such as "So Long, Marianne" and "Bird on a wire".

Now, the love story between the two movies becomes.

The film is calling Leonard and Marianne: Words of love and will be presented for the first time at the Sundance Film Festival, which will be held at the end of the month between January and February.

The film is directed by Nick Bloomfield.

A last goodbye

One of the film's moments is when Ihlen receives many erroneous letters that she received from Cohen two days before her death, July 24, 2016.

The letter reached Ihlen via his good friend Jan Christian Mollestad.

"When Marianne was in the hospital, she told Leonard, when I came home around midnight, I sent him an email," said Mollestad.

"I only received an automatic response telling him that he was on tour, so I tried to contact him by all means, but the next morning, this letter, from him, arrived, continued he said.

Ready to let go

The next day, Mollestad returned to the hospital bed and brought the letter from the former girlfriend.

– Modern was wise. She said "print it in large print so Marianne can read it herself," says Mollestad.

When Mollestad read the sentence "I'm right behind you, close enough to take your hand up for Holm," she reached out and grabbed Cohens.

He says that Ihlen was ready to die and, in the correspondence between Cohen and Mollestad, Mollestad writes that it was clear that the letter had given him extra strength at the last moment.

– She was conscious and present. Ready to give up life. Go from the front. Not afraid, a little worried about the family, but she was not scared.

"She did not cry for a second, at least not as we saw," he says.

Love still burns

Cohen's letter to Ihlen, as submitted by NRK, reads as follows:

Marianne's girlfriend,

I'm right behind you, close enough to grab your hand.

This old body has abandoned, just like yours, and the draft directive can happen anytime now.

I have never forgotten your love or your beauty. But you know it. I do not need to say more.

Have a good trip, my old friend.
See you.

Endless Love
and gratitude.
Leonard.

"What is beautiful is that even though they had not seen each other for many years, the letter confirmed that the love that united them was still alive," concludes Mollestad. .