From the director of Amy and Senna…
Diego Maradona remains a divisive figure on these shores. Many fans old enough to remember his hand of God moment in 1986 have not forgiven him for sending England out of the World Cup by illegal means. Others see him as a cult hero, someone whose flaws contribute to his genius. Whichever side of that fence you are on, there remains an intrigue into one of the greatest footballers of all time, as much into his life off the pitch than on it.
Football fans with an interest in El Diego will be thrilled, then, to hear that a documentary film about him will be coming to cinemas in the UK on June 14.
We're bringing you the ultimate story of DIEGO MARADONA.
From Oscar winner @asifkapadia
Coming to a cinema near you June 14#diegomaradona pic.twitter.com/USzgM8ySkg— Altitude (@AltitudeFilms) March 26, 2019
The film, titled Diego Maradona, is directed by Asif Kapadia, whose oeuvre features critically acclaimed biopics Senna and Amy, which explored the lives and deaths of Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna and pop singer Amy Winehouse.
The success of Kapadia’s previous work would suggest that Maradona will once again be enlightening and entertaining in equal measure, even for those without an interest in football.
In an interview with BBC film critic Mark Kermode last year at Latitude festival, Kapadia said: “I don’t think you need to know anything [about football]. There will be lots of people [at the festival] who know lots about football, who have heard of him, or who are Italians or Neapolitans or Argentinians, who know everything, and often what happens with that audience is ‘you didn’t put in this, or this, or this’. What’s nice is when you show it to someone who doesn’t know anything and they just take it for what it is.”
The film will of course put a strong focus on Maradona’s volatile personality and his antics off the pitch. Speaking about Maradona’s behaviour during the World Cup last year, when he was seen making obscene gestures at opposition fans from the stands during Argentina matches, Kapadia said: “It’s hilarious that people think that’s all an act, that’s just him, every single day of the week.
