Amy Winehouse’s father Mitch has spoke out, ahead of the premiere of the new documentary ‘Amy’, which charts his daughter’s rise to fame.
The film is one of the most hotly-anticipated releases of the year for music fans, however the ‘Back To Black’ singer’s dad isn’t impressed with the documentary.
Mitch Winehouse
‘Amy’ is due to be premiered at Cannes Film Festival next month, but Mitch has now spoken publicly about the movie, criticising the team behind the film.
Speaking to The Sun, Mitch states: “I felt sick when I watched it for the first time. Amy would be furious. This is not what she would have wanted.
“They had a pretty good idea of the film they wanted to make from the off and weren’t going to let anything, like the truth or Amy’s friends, get in the way.”
In a statement issued to Huffington Post UK, the Winehouse family have explained their decision to consciously disassociate themselves from the film.
"Fundamentally, the Winehouse family believes that the film does a disservice to individuals and families suffering from the complicated affliction of addiction," the statement reads. "By misunderstanding the condition and its treatment, the film suggests for instance that not enough was done for Amy, that her family and management pushed her into performing or did not do enough to help her.
"In reality, the filmmakers were told of a huge effort from all concerned to help Amy at all stages of her illness and their constant presence in her life throughout, as well as that of many excellent medical professionals. As many families know, addiction cannot begin to be treated properly until the individual helps themselves and there is no 'one size fits all' solution."
Amy and Mitch
In his interview with the Sun, Mitch goes on to criticise the film creators’ decision to allow Blake Fielder-Civil to feature in the documentary, adding: “Blake is saying in the film that the reason Amy was like that was because of me — not because he gave her crack and heroin and because he completely manipulated and coerced her into Class A drugs.
“If the real truth came out about Blake, he wouldn’t be able to walk down the street so how they can allow him to make that claim about me is so hurtful and beyond belief.”
The former London cabbie even goes on to add that he might consider taking legal action when the film is released.
“I was there for her — we were all there every day and Amy phoned me up to seven times a day. From this film there’s no impression of that whatsoever. Especially when she was sick, I was there all the time.”
The first 'Amy' poster
‘Amy’ is due to be premiered with a special midnight screening at the film festival in May.
Asif Kapadia, who directed ‘Senna’, is behind the film, which charts Amy’s rise to success and the huge achievements she managed before her death in 2011.
Here is the family's statement in full:
The Winehouse family would like to disassociate themselves from the forthcoming film about their much missed and beloved Amy. The documentary about her life will be released this summer and receive its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
They feel that the film is a missed opportunity to celebrate her life and talent and that it is both misleading and contains some basic untruths. There are specific allegations made against family and management that are unfounded and unbalanced. The narrative is formed by the testimony of a narrow sample of Amy’s associates, many of whom had nothing to do with her in the last years of her life. Counter views expressed to the filmmakers did not make the final cut.
Fundamentally, the Winehouse family believes that the film does a disservice to individuals and families suffering from the complicated affliction of addiction. By misunderstanding the condition and its treatment, the film suggests for instance that not enough was done for Amy, that her family and management pushed her into performing or did not do enough to help her. In reality, the filmmakers were told of a huge effort from all concerned to help Amy at all stages of her illness and their constant presence in her life throughout, as well as that of many excellent medical professionals. As many families know, addiction cannot begin to be treated properly until the individual helps themselves and there is no 'one size fits all' solution. Furthermore, Amy was an adult who could never be told what she could and could not do. Through their work with the Amy Winehouse Foundation, Amy’s family have met many others enduring through the same struggle that they endured and have helped hundreds of disadvantaged young people in Amy’s name. They will continue to do so and hope their work creates more understanding of a terrible illness.
Watch the ‘Amy’ trailer below...