SENNA (WORLD CINEMA AUDIENCE AWARD: DOCUMENTARY): TRAILER (VOSTFR) - FILM CLIPS (VO): " Fast" - " Japan 89" - " Japan 90" - " Japan 90 2nd Collision" - " Monte Carlo" - " Monte Carlo 88" - " Prost and Senna IV" - " Sid Watkins" -
" SENNA " Asif Kapadia 2010 Categories: World Cinema Documentary Competition INTRODUCTION It was June 1984, a Sunday at the Monaco Grand Prix. As the heavens unleashed a torrential downpour, one of the greatest line-ups in motor racing history took to the track. No fewer than six current or future World Champions vied for the race that day, including recent World Champion Keke Rosberg; a stoic, fearless Englishman called Nigel Mansell; Austrian double World Champion Niki Lauda; the flamboyant double World Champion Nelson Piquet; and the man dubbed ‘The Professor’, Frenchman Alain Prost, who was on the cusp of being regarded by many at the time as the most complete driver ever. In 13th position on the grid meanwhile, attracting little interest in his un-fancied Toleman car, was a wiry, fiery young driver in just his sixth Formula 1 race. As the engines fired and the drivers tore through the city streets, the man that started in 13th place ripped through the field, demonstrating virtuoso technique and jaw-dropping courage as he passed every car in front of him, taking Prost on line of the 32nd lap. That man was Ayrton Senna, announcing his arrival to the world of F1 with a spectacular drive. As it transpired, Senna did not win the race; he lost out on a technicality and the first-place passed to Prost. At the time Senna was not bitter, it was still his first podium finish, although what happened that day would set the tone for the young Brazilian’s future career; he would frequently win on the track, but would find himself defeated off the track, struggling against what he perceived as injustices in a highly politicised sport. Still, he overcame obstacles placed in his path, won three World Championships — his years at McLaren forging a fierce rivalry with team member and rival Prost — and achieved superstar status across the globe. With the international press he proved a charming and dashing champion; to his native Brazilian media he was a humble and deeply religious man. At the peak of his powers however, while tackling the Imola track in San Marino, disaster struck. It was the third race of the 1994 season and during qualifying Senna’s protégé Rubens Barrichello crashed and hurt himself. A day later Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger slammed into a wall at 200mph, dying instantly. Senna was shaken and wondered whether to continue racing. His great friend and F1 doctor Professor Sid Watkins advised Senna not to race on the Sunday. But Senna’s pride, his sense of responsibility to his team and sport, and his absolute need to conquer his fear, propelled him on. On the Sunday of the race, Senna managed just two laps after the safety car pitted, before crashing on the high-speed Tamburello corner, his car hitting a concrete wall at more than 130mph. In 1987, Nelson Piquet had crashed at the same corner and emerged with a mild concussion; in 1989 Gerhard Berger came off at Tamburello and exploded in a ball of flames. He was hurt but survived. In 1994, when Senna crashed, his car hit the wall at such an angle that part of the suspension flew back and punctured his helmet, causing fatal skull fractures. Medics found an Austrian flag in his car: he had planned to honour Ratzenberger when he finished the race. Senna’s remarkable story, charting his physical and spiritual achievements on the track and off, his quest for perfection, and the mythical status he has since attained, is the subject of SENNA, a documentary feature that spans the racing legend’s years as an F1 driver, from his opening season in 1984 to his untimely death a decade later. Far more than a film for F1 fans, SENNA unfolds a remarkable story in a remarkable manner, eschewing many standard documentary techniques in favour of a more cinematic approach that makes full use of astounding footage, much of which is drawn from F1 archives and is previously unseen. Universal Pictures presents SENNA in association with StudioCanal. A Working Title Production in association with Midfield Films, the film is directed by Asif Kapadia, written by Manish Pandey and produced by James Gay Rees, Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. The executive producers are Kevin Macdonald, Manish Pandey, Debra Hayward and Liza Chasin. SENNA is made with the full co-operation of Ayrton Senna’s family, who have given permission for this to be the first documentary feature film about his life; Formula One, who gave permission to use previously unseen footage; and the Ayrton Senna Institute, the charitable foundation established after his death, which provides educational opportunities to millions of deprived Brazilian children. *** ANTONIO PINTO – Composer Antonio Pinto received a Golden Globe nomination in 2009 for best original song “Despedida” co-written with Shakira from the film Love in the Time of Cholera directed by Mike Newell. Additionally, Antonio also scored Perfect Stranger and Lord of War directed by Andrew Niccol. Previously Antonio was celebrated for his brilliant score to the indie smash City of God (2003); He has been scoring films for around a decade including award winning Central Station (1998), Behind the Sun (2002), and Midnight (2000). He has worked with such directors as Fernando Meirelles, Walter Salles, Sergio Machado, Heitor Dhalia, as well as up-and-coming Ecuadorian director Sebastian Cordero in Cronicas starring John Leguizamo, produced by Alfonso Cuaron and Jorge Vergara. Antonio Pinto’s gift is his understanding that music is something going on around us all the time. He can hear and bring to life a world and a spirit stolen directly from the streets and hearts of the people who live in his films’ illustrated worlds. And for those that have never felt what his music describes, his music creates for them a new reality. His sense of story is musically driven and can cut to the centre of the deepest emotion with the simplicity of a lingering note and can just as smoothly blazon its way instinctively into complicated dancy techno samba with an ever-flowing energy that continually compliments its narrative. He creates a flow and adds logic to vision. He can depict any mood and has over a thousand ways to musically describe human passions. He can make sense of scenes that have been smashed together with opposing tones; and has such precision in describing moment that he ends up orchestrating the audience as much as he orchestrates his instruments. He is most at home in Brazilian styles of orchestrated street music, but is inventive and draws from many styles including jazz, funk and rock. His choice of instrumentation is imaginative and diverse.