I’ve lost sight of what Asif Kapadia is up to ever since Miramax gave up on his immaculately well-designed 2001 film The Warrior. He has since took on the frigid Arctic (Far North) and done a horror film remake (The Return), but his next project is bound to finally give this talented filmmaker some well-deserved attention. I’m not sure how I missed the headline, but THR reports that Kapadia will direct a life-sized documentary film on perhaps the greatest F1 pilot in history. Working Title Films’ Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, Kevin Macdonald and Midfield Films’ James Gay-Rees will produce the project temporarily referred to as the Untitled Ayrton Senna Documentary.
For anyone who loves F1 car racing, the name Senna is synonymous with the greats of the sport. Along with Pele, in Brazil, the name is synonymous with God. I had the chance to watch the driver several times over at the Canadian Grand Prix, Ayrton Senna was the best pilot I had ever witnessed. Master in wet conditions, the yellow helmeted driver’s life was unfortunately cut short due to a violent crash, and it was his work with impoverished street kids from São Paulo that made him larger than life. Penned by unknown scribe Manish Pandey, the doc will span Senna’s years as a Formula One racing driver from 1984 to his untimely death at the age of 34 in a race a decade later, the documentary will explore the life and work of the triple world champion. Apparently, the doc will offer never before seen footage. Below I included a clip of the feisty, fierce competitor.