The Senna director on his moving documentary about the life and death of Amy Winehouse, which is No 6 in our UK best films of 2015

Amy director Asif Kapadia: ‘When you look at it now, she was a kid doing stupid things’

How does it feel to have Amy in our “best of 2015” list?

It’s great. Her friends have said the film puts Amy back where she belongs: as an amazing talent, but also a funny, beautiful human being. That’s not always the way she came across in the media.

The film gives everyone a chance to atone for how she was treated …

Yes. It wasn’t just about her, it was about us – how we treat people. We build them up and rip them down. So it was about getting the audience to think about our complicity. When you look at it now, she was a kid doing stupid things. You needed a grownup to come in there and stop it.

Releasing Amy: the inside story of the Winehouse documentary Read more

Are there too few grownups in the music industry?

There must be some responsibility. These people are growing up in public. When it’s going well there are a lot of people around them – when it’s not they’re not around. My agent in America saw the film and said it’s the first time he’s felt guilty about what he does for living. I was like: “Good!”.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A still from the film Amy. Photograph: Jeff Kravitz

Do you think you and Amy would have got on?

No. I’m 10 years older. But I got along with a lot of her friends, so maybe we could have. She might not have thought much of “that film director bloke”.

Are you sick of her music?

I’m not. I love the live music we’ve got in the movie. I sometimes play it while I’m working. I’m more in love with her as an artist than I was before. The meaning of the music is deeper now. It’s not just pop music, which is what we all thought. It’s heavy listening.

Does success like this give you a taste of what she experienced?

I’ve had films that everyone hates. If you’ve had ups and downs, maybe you’re toughened. She made two records: the first one did OK, the second one was a mega hit. What she needed was a failure. One of those difficult third albums that are banged out and nobody bought. Then she’d have had a bit of freedom.