The lyrics and music of Amy Winehouse were director Sam Taylor-Johnson’s “guiding star” in bringing the late singer’s story to the screen in “Back to Black.”
The biographical film follows Winehouse's rise to fame and portrays her relationships with her family and ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil.
It will be released 13 years after the six-time Grammy winner died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 27. Considered one of the most talented singers of her generation, her premature death shook the music world.
Telling the story from Winehouse's point of view was essential for Taylor-Johnson. “I just wanted it to be from her perspective to kind of give her agency back because I felt like she had been taken away and that she had become a victim of her tragedy,” he said this Monday, at the film’s world premiere in London.
“I wanted to do that through his words, through his music, to kind of bring music back to life and celebrate it again, and that felt really important to me. I felt like she deserved it.”
The British actress Marisa Abela plays Winehouse, a role she considered both a dream and, at the same time, terrifying. “You don't get roles like Amy every day. And not because she is Amy Winehouse, but because she was all in one,” she said.
“She was smart and funny and bold and brave, but also incredibly vulnerable and emotional, and that's what I wanted to convey. I wanted to…remind people of the vulnerability of Amy, the girl behind the song.”
Abela, 27, who performs the “Rehab” singer's hit songs in the film, said she took daily singing lessons for four months and studied Winehouse's lyrics to prepare for the role.
“Back to Black” was approved by Amy Winehouse’s estate, and Taylor-Johnson met with Winehouse’s parents.
“I didn’t need anyone’s approval. And it's important that I say this because it's also important to state that I made exactly the film I wanted to make. I had all the musical approvals. But I wanted to reunite with the family out of respect for the fact that I was making a film about their daughter and it felt wrong not to reunite with them. And the fact that they approved it after they saw it is really cool,” Taylor-Johnson said.
“I think Amy would be proud that her music has stood such a test of time and that we are here to celebrate it again,” he added.
Source: CNN Brasil

I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.