Amy Winehouse documentary: When is it out and will her father be involved?
BBC Two film is being released to mark the 10th anniversary of the singer’s death
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A new documentary about Amy Winehouse is being released this summer to mark the 10th anniversary of her death.
The BBC Two programme, Amy Winehouse: 10 Years On, will explore the life and career of the late artist, who died on 23 July 2011 at the age of 27.
Here’s everything we know about the documentary, from when it will air to who is involved in the making of it…
When will Amy Winehouse: 10 Years On be broadcast?
The programme is expected to air on BBC Two in July, marking 10 years since Winehouse’s death. A specific date and time has not yet been announced.
Read more:
What is Amy Winehouse: 10 Years On about?
The film will feature friends, family and loved ones sharing their memories of the late icon, alongside previously unseen material provided by Winehouse’s family.
It “promises to be a celebratory and intimate portrayal of one of the brightest musical talents the UK has ever seen”, said commissioning editors Max Gogarty and Rachel Davies in a statement. “Whilst being a celebration of her musical genius and featuring rare and unheard performances, it will also offer a reinterpretation of the prevailing narrative around her rise and fall, told by those closest to her.”
The six-time Grammy winner broke into the music business aged 16 when a classmate passed on her demo tape to a record label. She signed her first record deal as a jazz vocalist, and her music later criss-crossed the genres of jazz, pop, soul and R&B. She released two records over the course of her career, 2003’s Frank and 2006’s Back to Black. She is best known for hits such as “Rehab” and “Love Is a Losing Game”.
The singer-songwriter died from alcohol poisoning, and was found dead in her Camden home by her bodyguard.
Who is making Amy Winehouse: 10 Years On?
The programme is being made by Curious Films. It is directed by Marina Parker, whose previous credits include the film Ugly Me: My Life with Body Dysmorphia.
Dov Freedman and Charlie Russell, the pair behind Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death and Charlotte Church: My Family and Me, are the executive producers. Freedman said in a statement: “Amy was a true musical icon, and we couldn’t be prouder to help those closest to Amy reclaim her story, ten years after her death.”
Winehouse’s mother Janis will be one of the primary participants in the film. “Janis lives with Multiple Sclerosis, a condition which threatens to strip her of her memories of Amy, and is a large part of her motivation to make this timely and personal documentary,” a BBC press release declared.
“I don’t feel the world knew the true Amy, the one that I brought up, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to offer an understanding of her roots and a deeper insight into the real Amy,” Janis Winehouse added.
Winehouse’s father, Mitch, is not expected to be participating. He contributed heavily to the 2015 film Amy, and later described the documentary as “preposterous” and criticised it for portraying him as a villain, saying: “The film is representing me in a not very good way. There is no balance, there’s nothing about the foundation. It’s portraying me and Amy in not a very good light.”
Last year, he claimed a script was being written for a biopic about his daughter and said it will be his way of “getting his own back”. He also said he was working on a Broadway show to “portray Amy the way she was”.
What other screen projects have been made about the late singer?
The most famous film that has been made about Amy Winehouse is the Oscar-winning 2015 documentary Amy. The film was directed by Asif Kapadia, who conducted more than 100 interviews with the singer’s friends and family. It covered Winehouse’s life and her struggle with substance abuse, both before and after her career took off, and which eventually caused her death.
In 2018, Amy Winehouse – Back to Black focused on the singer recording her final studio album in 2006. Released by Eagle Vision, the film featured previously unseen footage of the singer and interviews with musicians who worked with her on the 2006 record, including Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi, who shared their take on her once-in-a-generation voice.
The new documentary is one part of a series of celebrations of Winehouse’s life that will be broadcast to commemorate her death. BBC Radio 2 is producing a documentary about Winehouse’s influence on subsequent generations of women singer-songwriters, while Radio 1 will revisit a number of Winehouse’s most memorable live performances.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments