The remarkable story of Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna, charting his physical and spiritual achievements on the track and off, his quest for perfection, and the mythical status he has since attained, is the subject of Senna, a documentary feature that spans the racing legend's years as an F1 driver, from his opening season in 1984 to his untimely death a decade later.
Editing
Kapadia crafts narrative from 15,000 hours of footage—no talking heads.
Direction
Treats archival footage like live thriller, not dusty history.
Sound
Those V12 engines scream like mechanical gods.
Director
Asif Kapadia
Ayrton Senna
Self (archive footage)
Alain Prost
Self
Frank Williams
Self
Ron Dennis
Self
Viviane Senna
Self
Milton da Silva
Self (archive footage)
Neyde Senna
Self (archive footage)
Jackie Stewart
Self (archive footage)
Sid Watkins
Self
Galvão Bueno
Self
Reginaldo Leme
Self
Gerhard Berger
Self (archive footage)
Nelson Piquet
Self (archive footage)
Nigel Mansell
Self (archive footage)
Jean-Marie Balestre
Self (archive footage)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Senna's family initially refused participation; they only agreed after seeing Kapadia's vision, unlocking previously private home videos.
The film single-handedly created the 'Senna boom' that made F1 explode in Brazil and revitalized global documentary storytelling.
GB
