BAFTA/ Jamie Simmonds Hot on the heels of a blazing theatrical release of his documentary Senna, the UK director talks to Mariayah Kaderbhai in the Film and Music Arena at Latitude Festival 2011.
The full length Asif Kapadia interview video is available to watch now on BAFTA Guru.
Asif Kapadia is no stranger to critical recognition, having won a BAFTA in 2001 for his Hindi-language feature The Warrior. But it is his most recent film - a theatrical documentary about the life of Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna - that has really got people talking. It picked up awards at Sundance and Los Angeles earlier this year, and broke the record for the highest grossing opening weekend for a documentary film when it opened in the UK.
In this video, filmed on a hot day at the start of this year's Latitude Festival, the director talks about the artistic and political decisions involved in making a film about such an iconic figure. He discusses the unprecedented amount of archive footage of Senna, and how this allowed for a more 'drama-like' construction. He also discusses the issue of appealing to non-racing fans, the techniques used to gain interviewees' trust, and describes the emotional preview screening held for Senna's close family.
Documentary's always used the techniques of drama; drama's always used documentary's techniques: there's always been a crossover.
Watch the Asif Kapadia interview on BAFTA Guru
~BAFTA Guru is the Academy's online resource
