Asif Kapadia, an Oscar Winner With ‘Amy,’ to Open Visions du Réel Industry Program

variety.com:

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor British filmmaker Asif Kapadia, an Oscar winner with “Amy,” will be the opening speaker of the 23rd edition of the industry program of documentary festival Visions du Réel in Nyon, Switzerland.

The director, screenwriter and producer will give a masterclass on April 6, officially launching the industry program. The festival said Kapadia has “continued to develop an innovative cinematographic language that combines the use of a rich corpus of personal archives, often previously unpublished, with extensive investigative work and a psychological approach to the life of his characters.” He is the author of a trilogy of films centered on the tragic destinies of extraordinary talents from different backgrounds and generations: “Senna” (2010), “Amy” (2015, winning the Academy Award for best documentary) and “Diego Maradona” (2019) are among his critically acclaimed films. “His body of work blurs the contours of the documentary genre by freely intersecting the emotional and narrative punch of fiction and the more rigorous veins of investigative filmmaking, shedding light on the inner lives of his protagonists and those around them.” “Asif Kapadia‘s impressive and diverse oeuvre is an endless inspiration to film professionals all over the world and we are excited and honored to welcome him to open our industry program.

We hope that through sharing his knowledge and experience, and by delving into his work, this masterclass will set the tone for an inspirational four days,” Alice Burgin, head of industry at Visions du Réel, said.

The VdR industry program runs from April 6 to 9, featuring pitching showcases, project labs, talks and masterclasses, soirées and parties.