Not too long ago I received messages from loads of you in the States asking when the new Senna movie would see the light of day over the pond. Indeed there were many of you who wondered if it would happen at all.

Worry no longer, my friends. With the release of the listings for the 2011 Sundance Film Festival came the outstanding news that “Senna” has been shortlisted in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. From almost 800 entries, “Senna” was picked as one of the 12 movies to be shown in the contest, and will thus receive its US debut in January.

The great news with this is that it will open it up to the US audience, and most importantly that it is already being taken on its artistic merits, which could allow it a far wider appeal than simply being viewed as a racing flick.

Success at Sundance would naturally lead to greater things in the States, but I could envisage the bible belt getting behind the movie. I’m not too sure of how it works in America, but I understand that there’s a Christian Film Council or suchlike. Senna’s belief in God and the many references he makes to being at one with, and at times being in the presence of, the almighty may well have resonance with such an influential group in America, and could help the film gain a wider release.

SENNA MOVIE GOES DOWN A STORM AT SUNDANCE FESTIVAL
Posted on | January 24, 2011 |
The movie about Ayrton Senna, which we have chronicled extensively on this site, has had a very positive reception at the celebrated Sundance Film Festival in America.

The film is shortlisted for best world documentary and is in a very competitive field, but it has been glowingly reviewed by the LA Times critic, who attended the Sundance screening.

“Sometimes a documentary will unexpectedly reach out and grab you by the throat, not giving you a second to breathe,” wrote Kenneth Turan of the LA Times. “That’s that way it was with “Senna,” which had its North American premiere Friday night in Sundance’s world documentary competition.
“Told solely through the use of archival footage, “Senna” is bursting with great racing sequences, many dealing with his bitter rivalry with French champion Alain Prost. But what makes this film so riveting is the remarkable personality of the man himself.
“Someone who just flat-out loved to drive, Senna was a purist who had complete disdain for the politics that had to be played in the cliquish Formula One world. Though he drove like the devil, he was a spiritual person who believed deeply and profoundly in a higher power. A philosophical mystic with a jewel thief’s nerves and a poet’s sensitivity (and good looks), Senna was an altogether remarkable human being.”
Senna director Asif Kapadia and writer/producer Manish Pandey are out at Sundance. A good response at Sundance is likely to make for a wider US distribution for the movie. It is due to open in Italy shortly and then in the UK in June.
We’re working on a special JA on F1 screening in London in early May, so keep an eye out for more details on that, hopefully in the next couple of weeks.