Diego Maradona's film presented in Cannes in the absence of the legend

The highly anticipated director of the British director Asif Kapadia The documentary Diego Maradona was presented out of competition at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on Sunday evening

Expectations were high, but the legend of football could not get to the festival because of a shoulder surgery that he undergoes in Mexico. 19659006] Kapadia, an Indian-born filmmaker whose badociation with the festival dates back to 1998, when he won the second Cinefondation Award for his graduation film from the Royal College of Art, The Sheep Thief, debuts in fiction with The Warrior (2001), with Irrfan Khan.

He has since earned the reputation of being one of the most profitable biographical documentary filmmakers in the world after the success of BAFTA award winner Awar Senna and Oscar winner Amy.

"These two documentaries," said the director during a Talent Talk session held in the UK's UK film pavilion, were dedicated to the deaths of exceptional young people. I did not want to repeat myself. That's why it seemed right to make a film about a man who lives and ages again.

Diego Maradona drew several years of excavations in video footage, research on countless published articles and 80 interviews.

The 130-minute film is devoted to the whirlwind and triumph of Argentinian football legend SSC Napoli, whom he joined in 1984 for a world record.

The film traces the life and times of genius through its triumphs and tribulations of the 1980s and early 1990s. This is a period in which Maradona experienced tremendous heights , including Argentina's 1986 World Cup win and downs, which included disordered clashes with authority.

"This film was a new challenge," said Kapadia. "Diego was not the most reliable witness. His version of events was often exactly the opposite of what is recorded. But he is obviously a very charismatic person and a great storyteller. "

" The film also addresses many issues outside of football; racism, family problems, addiction problems, problems with the mafia. It's a crazy opera film, "Kapadia said. Maradona led the Napoli club to his very first title.

Comparing it to his two previous documentaries, the second of which (Amy) played at Cannes in 2015, said Kapadia, Senna's was a complete hero movie, & # 39; Amy's was a musical and this one is like a gangster movie. "