Asif Kapadia
Asif Kapadia
Asif Kapadiais a British filmmaker. He directed several award-winning films, including The Sheep Thief, winner of the 2nd Prize Cinéfondation for Short Film at the Cannes Film Festival, The Warrior, the BAFTA Award for Best British Film 2003 and Senna, winner of the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, the BAFTA Award for Best Editing and the World Cinema Audience Award Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival 2011 and Amywhich has become the highest grossing documentary of all time in the...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionDirector
fully time
We were working on 'Senna' for a long time before we were fully financed, so we didn't actually have an editor for a while.
finance intended knew raising rights script shoot short straight time took
I'd always intended to make 'Far North' straight after 'The Warrior.' We had the rights to the short story, the script was in development, and I knew where I wanted to shoot it. It just took a long time getting the script together and raising the finance.
grand jean last michelle ran time vip worked
I worked with Michelle Yeoh on my last film, 'Far North,' and her partner is Jean Todt; at the time, he ran Ferrari. So I went as a VIP to the British grand prix.
fact filming stand time tv worked
I worked in TV for a short time and couldn't stand the fact that we'd always be filming someone talking, just giving information.
born far found life liked lived time weirdly
Weirdly enough, I live in London - was born there and have lived there all my life - but I hadn't made a film in London for a long time. I hadn't found the right subject. I liked going away, to some far flung place.
based films scripts time
I want to make my own films from my own scripts based on stories I want to tell, but they take time to put together.
time
A lot of the time when I'm working, I'm abroad.
grand monaco time
The Monaco Grand Prix is in May right around the time of Cannes.
audiences decided direct disliked engage formula given heard opportunity people race seen sports thrill work
When I was given the opportunity to direct 'Senna,' I decided the film had to work for audiences who disliked sport or had never seen a Formula One race in their lives. It had to thrill and emotionally engage people who had never heard of Ayrton Senna.
anyone car circles drove fan formula giant looked
Why make a movie about Ayrton Senna? Someone who drove around in circles at 200mph in a car that looked like a giant cigarette packet? Why would anyone who isn't already a fan of Formula 1 care?
boxing catch chance lucky tragedy underdog
Boxing is made for film - there is corruption, violence, tragedy and the chance that the underdog can catch the champion with one lucky punch.
I don't have these crazy deadlines. I don't have this, 'Oh it's got to be out tomorrow.' I don't like working like that.
visuals
My interest in filmmaking was always very much the visuals and images.
dimension films happy muslim spiritual tackle
My films often have a spiritual dimension which comes from my Muslim background, and I'm happy to tackle that in cinema.