Amy

A film about one of the icons of contemporary pop culture made by someone who knew nothing about her besides the fact that she existed. Thanks to his ignorance, Asif Kapadia avoided falling into the most common trap of biopics: instead of erecting a monument to the legend, he discovered the person. The artist's initially cooperative family rebelled in opposition to the film, which consists of an impressive collection of archival recordings. No wonder. Devoid of any voiceover commentary, the images form a story about an inherited amorous pathology and a musical genius who did even not manage to fully understand herself. With narration carried along by the lyrics of a series of songs, Amy Winehouse emerges as someone who was witty and cheerful, loving and gentle, malicious and annoying, as well as self-destructive and suffering. The documentary is insightful and edited with the precision of a watchmaker. It neither makes excuses nor does it point an accusing finger at anyone besides the media, whose chutzpah and tabloid morality distorted the image of the artist and the person, with the passive complicity of listeners and readers. Amy refutes the lies. Winehouse's lyrics have never been so clear nor the longing for the sounds that she might have created so strong.