A documentary on the life of Amy Winehouse has been criticised on the grounds of objectivity, with the singer’s family speaking out against the film from British director Asif Kapadia.
Amy, due to premiere at Cannes Film Festival later this year, has been slammed by the Winehouse family who wish to “disassociate themselves” from the documentary. In a press release to People Magazine, a spokesperson for the family stated:
“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,” said the spokesperson, adding that allegations made in the documentary against the talented singer’s family and management were “unfounded and unbalanced.”
One of the most damning allegations the documentary makes is that Amy’s father Mitch forced her daughter onstage to earn more money, rather than allow her to address the addiction problems that ultimately claimed her life. It also implies the father has been using a foundation set up in the wake of his daughter’s death for personal gain.
The statement, naturally, was quick to dismiss these accusations:
“The narrative is formed by the testimony of a narrow sample of Amy’s associates, many of whom had nothing to do with her in the last years of her life. By misunderstanding the condition and its treatment, the film suggests for instance that not enough was done for Amy, that her family and management pushed her into performing or did not do enough to help her.”
In a response to the statement, representatives for the documentary told People they originally held “the full backing of the Winehouse family” and approached the documentary with “total objectivity.” In other words, taking both sides of the story into account; a risky proposition when documenting the life of such a famous and tragic figure.
If nothing else, the film was exceptionally thorough during the interview process:
“During the production process, 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.”
Perhaps Asif Kapadia’s objectivity was not of the right eye for the singer’s bereaved family. Then again, objectivity is hard to come by after the death of a loved one: particularly a tragic death such as Winehouse’s, who died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 after a long history of substance abuse. Her family has every right to be upset over the nature of the documentary, but that doesn’t imply the film is anything less than honest.
What truly drove Amy Winehouse to her sad and sudden death? Perhaps the family’s response to the documentary is an indicator of their absence and unwillingness to help the singer in her most troubled time; perhaps it is the accurate reflection of a film more concerned with creating a compelling narrative than it is with an honest exploration of the singer’s life.
Despite the release of Amy, we may never know the full circumstances surrounding the gifted singer in the lead up to her death. But some tragic figures, history has taught us, simply can’t be helped.
To read more on Amy Winehouse, read Fashion Industry Broadcasts, Vol. 19 hard cover edition.
