Puerto de la Cruz and the Orotava Valley have become the filming location for Lennon Wasn't Here, the new film by Canarian director JuanMa V. Betancort. The project, which began shooting on September 7, revisits a little-known episode in music history: the stay of Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in Tenerife during the spring of 1963.
The production stands out for its distinctive narrative approach and for the scale of institutional and cultural support it has secured, including direct collaboration with the Beatles Museum in Liverpool, underscoring the international interest in this story linked to the British band.
A musical comedy spanning Tenerife, Liverpool and Hamburg
Lennon Wasn't Here is described as a musical comedy with dramatic undertones that weaves together the historical memory of the Canary island with two cities key to the Beatles' trajectory: Liverpool and Hamburg. The film is a Spanish-Argentine co-production driven by the production companies Frame, from Argentina, and Insularia Films, in partnership with the Beatles Museum in Liverpool itself.
The project is also backed by the Government of the Canary Islands, the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife and the Puerto de la Cruz City Council. Also lending support is Televisión Canaria, along with collaboration from the Valle de La Orotava City Council, both municipalities having opened their locations for filming.
A race against time to save a museum
The plot follows the journey of Astrid, played by Isabel Stoffel, and Lucy, played by Laura Martí, two protagonists determined to find Paul McCartney's first lost bass guitar. Their search aims to prevent the closure of the Beatlemania museum in Germany, in what the production describes as a pop race against the clock.
The cast also includes recognized names from the Spanish and Latin American acting scene: Pablo Carbonell, Anabel Alonso, Teddy Bautista, Javier Gurruchaga, Natalia Verbeke, Agustina Palma and Nicolás Scarpino.
Puerto de la Cruz, a setting that hasn’t changed
The production team will devote nearly five of the six total weeks of filming to shooting at natural locations in northern Tenerife, with Puerto de la Cruz taking special prominence. The town does not merely serve as a backdrop but functions as a symbolic element within the film's visual narrative.
According to the production team, the municipality retains aesthetic features, urban spaces and natural surroundings that remain virtually unchanged since the British band's visit in 1963, allowing the atmosphere of that era to be faithfully recreated without major set interventions.
Harrison and Starr’s original car, a historic protagonist
Among the elements of greatest heritage value incorporated into the filming is the red convertible Austin Healey Sprite, the original vehicle driven by George Harrison and Ringo Starr during their stay in the Canary Islands. The film also features the correspondence exchanged by both musicians during those days on the island, material that adds documentary authenticity to the story.
Filming moves to Liverpool and Hamburg in October
In addition to the Tenerife locations, Lennon Wasn't Here will recreate interior settings directly linked to the Beatles' history. To do so, the team will move filming in October to Liverpool and Hamburg, two cities that marked the band's early days and artistic consolidation before their rise to worldwide fame.
This geographic connection between Tenerife and the two European cities aims to reinforce the film's narrative thread, blending historical memory, music and fiction in a story that honors the almost anecdotal, yet real, passage of three of the four Beatles through Canarian soil.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lennon Wasn’t Here about?
It is a musical comedy with dramatic undertones inspired by the real-life holiday of Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in Tenerife during the spring of 1963. The fictional plot follows two women searching for a lost McCartney bass guitar to save a museum dedicated to Beatlemania in Germany.
Who directs the film?
The film is directed by Canarian filmmaker JuanMa V. Betancort.
Where is the film being shot?
Filming began on September 7 in Puerto de la Cruz and the Valle de La Orotava, in Tenerife. In October, the team will move to Liverpool and Hamburg to complete scenes linked to the Beatles' history.
Which actors make up the cast?
The cast is led by Isabel Stoffel and Laura Martí, alongside Pablo Carbonell, Anabel Alonso, Teddy Bautista, Javier Gurruchaga, Natalia Verbeke, Agustina Palma and Nicolás Scarpino.
Which institutions support the production?
The film is backed by the Government of the Canary Islands, the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife and the Puerto de la Cruz City Council, along with participation from Televisión Canaria and collaboration from the Valle de La Orotava City Council. The Beatles Museum in Liverpool is also involved as a partner in the project.
What real historical element appears in the film?
The filming includes the original red Austin Healey Sprite driven by George Harrison and Ringo Starr during their stay in Tenerife in 1963, as well as correspondence from that period.
Is it a Spanish production?
It is a Spanish-Argentine co-production made by Frame, from Argentina, and Insularia Films, with participation from the Beatles Museum in Liverpool.
