Amy Winehouse film sparks controversy
Family of late singer claims to be misrepresented by documentary, while filmmaker says it is ‘honest and truthful to Amy’
A new documentary covering the life of the late Jewish-British singer Amy Winehouse has elicited controversy even before it makes its official premiere at the Cannes Film Festival Saturday.
The family of Winehouse, who died aged 27 from alcohol poisoning, has condemned the forthcoming film as “misleading.”
“Amy” traces Winehouse’s story from her early career to the fame she won with hits such as “Rehab”, until her death in 2011.
A spokesman for the Winehouse family said they “would like to disassociate themselves from the forthcoming film about their much missed and beloved Amy.
“They feel that the film is a missed opportunity to celebrate her life and talent and that it is both misleading and contains some basic untruths,” the spokesman said in a statement. “There are specific allegations made against family and management that are unfounded and unbalanced.”
The statement said the film suggested family members did too little to help the singer, who had battled drug and alcohol abuse for years. The family statement said the movie did not reflect the “huge effort from all concerned to help Amy at all stages.
“Fundamentally, the Winehouse family believes that the film does a disservice to individuals and families suffering from the complicated affliction of addiction,” it said.
The documentary is directed by Brit Asif Kapadia, whose film Senna about Brazilian Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna won a British Academy Film Award for best documentary in 2011.
In a statement, the team behind Amy defended their work.
“When we were approached to make the film, we came on board with the full backing of the Winehouse family and we approached the project with total objectivity, as with Senna,” the filmmakers said.
“We conducted in the region of 100 interviews with people that knew Amy Winehouse: friends, family, former-partners and members of the music industry that worked with her.
“The story that the film tells is a reflection of our findings from these interviews.”
Kapadia tole The Hollywood Reporter that he sought “to make a film that was honest and truthful to Amy.
“There was a lot of tension, a lot of voices around her that made it difficult for her to deal with issues. I think that is difficult for people to see because it’s turning the mirror around,” he said.
The Amy Winehouse documentary will hit US theaters nationwide on July 10.
The Times of Israel Community.