Leonard Cohen’s great anthem, Hallelujah, was a source of agony for its composer. By all reports, it took him two decades to write and refine, and then it was rejected by his recording company, Columbia. Even a cover by Bob Dylan did nothing for its popularity. Not until it was featured in the animated film, Shrek, did it come to the attention of the public. Like much about Cohen’s career, the song has since swept millions more listeners along with its words and cadences. It is also part of the composer’s growing influence. Cohen’s hometown, Montreal, now claims him as a kind of hometown hero, and much is being made of his Jewish upbringing, influences, and impact. The whole of this story is the core around which filmmakers Daniel Geller and Dana Goldfein have wrapped their documentary. All of this will be matter for discussion in the next session of Blatt + Blue on December 8 at 7:00 p.m.

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