Amy and Sound

 

No voiceover from Kapadia himself (unlike some other forms of documentary)

Much of the dialogue in the film is already contained within the existing footage - it's meaning is shaped through the ways in which these clips are edited together...

Recorded audio of interviews with Amy's friends, family, business associates etc - recorded after the event and run over carefully selcted existing footage - only the participants voices are heard...

Amy was no longer alive when the documentary was made so her 'voice' comes through dialogue within existing clips but also through the lyrics of her songs - both through the playing of those songs as part of the film's soundtrack and through the appearance of the handwritten lyrics on screen - Kapadia links these songs and the lyrics with footage of the people in Amy's life who the lyrics are about - arguably enabling Amy Winehouse to become the narrator of the piece - Kapadia describes Amy's songs and lyrics as personal, becoming her voice to help the audience understand what was going on in her head (in the absence of having Amy to talk to).