Scottish musical sensation Lewis Capaldi is the subject of a feature-length documentary directed by BAFTA winner Joe Pearlman (“Bros: After the Screaming Stops”) and produced by Pulse Films (“Lemonade,” “Beastie Boys Story”). The film will be shopped to buyers at the Cannes virtual market by Independent Entertainment.
The 24-year-old Capaldi has enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame over the past 36 months, earning a Grammy nomination and BRIT award for his debut single “Someone You Loved,” in addition to a second BRIT for best new artist, and selling out an arena tour before he’d even released his debut album.
It’s a stark contrast to his life just three years ago, when he was still carrying his own gear while performing in Scottish bars and pubs. The film follows Capaldi over a five-year period, from a global headline tour to returning to his parents’ home in Scotland to start work on his sophomore album.
“If the immense pressure of writing and recording a second album that has to live up to the expectations of so many people I’ve never met while also attempting to eclipse the commercial success of my previous album wasn’t enough, I decided to film the process in its entirety for your viewing pleasure,” says Capaldi.
“I’m very excited to potentially capture the making of the best album of all time, or more likely, to permanently document the scorching of my dreams as years of my life’s work is received like a pile of flaming shite. Either way it’s going to be lots of fun and will be lovely to have people along for the ride,” added the musician.
The as-yet-untitled film will be presented by BMG in association with Quickfire Films. It is produced by Pulse Films’ Sam Bridger and Alice Rhodes.
“At Pulse Films we have always worked collaboratively and openly with artists to create films that reveal the emotion and psychology that underpins great artists,” said Bridger. “Lewis Capaldi is a singular pop star and character. A raw, emotionally honest and unapologetically real artist in an over mediated and PR-trained industry, Lewis is a breath of fresh air. We are hugely excited about the opportunity to be creating a film that takes audiences deep into his personal world at this pivotal moment in his life.”
Interlude Artists’ Ryan Walter and Thomas Benski, Maris Clifford and Tim O’Shea of Pulse Films will executive produce. Also acting as executive producers will be Quickfire Films’ James Atherton and Jan Pace, Cora Palfrey and Sarah Lebutsch of Independent Entertainment, and Jaime Neely, Stuart Souter and Alistair Norbury of BMG.
Independent Entertainment will present the film at the Cannes Virtual Film Market later this month (June 21–25).
