Winehouse director: “She was not a pop star” – Courier

S he was just a girl who wants to sing, says Amy Winehouse in an interview. And they do not think they would ever be a star. That was before her record “Back to Black” in 2006 struck like a comet. Was a global superstar from the talented girl from North London with the great soul voice. Songs like “Rehab” ran on any corporate event.

Accompanying this drove the (British) Boulevard Amy Winehouse with sensationalist messages about drug abuse and dieting in front of them. On 23 July 2011, fulfilled the prophecies lustful: Amy Winehouse died aged only 27 in alcohol poisoning. All this and much more tells the rousing, very stylish documentary “Amy” (release date: Friday) the British Asif Kapadia (“Senna”). And she tries to paint a different picture of Amy Winehouse

Messenger. What attracted you to the person Amy Winehouse most fascinated and surprised?

Photo: / Thimfilm

Asif Kapadia: Two things have me decisively opened her eyes: firstly, their lyrics. Of course, I knew their songs, but obviously I had until then never properly belongs. And the second was the private photographs of her as a young girl: She’s so funny and smart and cool – it is a completely new, unknown side of themselves. I found her incredibly sympathetic, and that was very important for me my documentary: to show another Amy, than the one we know from the tabloids

How did you at all these. approached private recordings?

I made an incredible number of interviews with people from Amys confined environment. At first it was difficult to gain their trust, because they were still angry and hurt about Amy’s death. But I have this special interview technique developed: I sit down with my interlocutors in a darkened room – only with a microphone, no camera – and start my interview. Gradually, my opponent was always open – wanted to anger or grief or guilt to get rid of. The conversations were getting longer, people began to cry – it was like a therapy session. At the end of the interview it happened often that someone said he or she had a few private recordings or a home movie or a message from Amy on the answering machine – and so I got a lot of private material. But of course I also use pictures from YouTube and records that are already known.

Mitch Winehouse, Amy’s father, gave them interviews. As the documentary came out, he felt, however, defamed and distanced himself.

I have met several times with Mitch Winehouse, and my intention was clearly on the table: I’m starting from scratch. I know no one of the participants. I have never met Amy personally. I just want to make interviews, look at that footage and tell a story. The film is a testament to what I found out. That life of Amy Winehouse at a given moment was very complicated and a lot of people made decisions that were for Amy not the best

The accusation was, you would have torn quotes out of context.

All references to the events can be found directly in Amy’s song lines. Each song tells her what is going on in their lives. I’m nothing more than to illustrate that. Read the text of “Rehab” – there you will find everything. She’s the one who told it, not me.

Do you have these strong reactions expected?

I’ve really expect anything, I just wanted my movie making. For me the impression that Amy was greatly torn between many people came. And if you yourself are unstable, can make you the very sick. I wanted to make a film that gives the viewers a sense of what it means to be Amy Winehouse. And that was, I think, quite a challenge.

You denounce the role of the boulevard, but use even many tabloid photos. Is not that a contradiction?

This was aware. I would, of course, could decide I do not show these pictures. On the other hand: What would I have to make this film? The truth is that Amy “lived” at a certain point in their lives in the Boulevard. As such one must also use this material to tell their story. It would have been crazy not to do it.

Your personal conclusion?

I think if Amy Winehouse would have stayed at the Jazz and Hip-Hop and would have played in front of a small, intimate audience of 50 people, they would have been happier. She was not a pop star.