89 – The Producer – Amy Lawrence
Nov 11th, 2017 by 'holic
It’s time to complete Lucy Gooner’s experiences of the world premiere of 89 with her chat with the film’s significant driving force, Amy Lawrence. Amy is well known to most of you. A one-time contributer to the Gooner who developed her talent to the extent that having established herself at the Guardian and Observer, she was named journalist of the year at the Women In Football awards last year. She has had three excellent Arsenal books published (please don’t tell me it’s more, Amy!) and has now added another string to her creative bow. Lucy, pick up the story.
I am lucky enough to know Amy through her press box attendances! She is great company, and her observations on the process around the film were a joy to listen to. Her opening sentence ensured we were glued to the story behind the film’s inception.
“Basically, it was a fantastically serendipitous game of dominoes, a series of conversations that went very quickly. Started off with a friend of mine called Adam Verdasco, who some of you may remember from the old days, who sent me an email saying, “I’ve just watched that “I Believe In Miracles” and “The Class of 92”. Why is there not a film about ….” And I almost didn’t need to read the end of the sentence and you think oh my God, what an unbelievably obvious and brilliant idea.
“So I then had a chat with another pal of mine, as I was clearly not a renowned film maker, and asked the advice of another Arsenal fan from the eighties who I knew who does some production. He then had a conversation with a mate of his (Davey who is the Director) who directed films and everybody didn’t need to finish their sentence! Before we knew it from Adam’s conversation to Universal, they had never even heard of each other, it was “whoosh”. Suddenly there is a film being commissioned which apparently is very unusual.
“The first phone call I made was to him (points to Lee Dixon, an executive producer as well as a legend!) because I knew he had so much to offer, and I knew that he would be someone who wouldn’t just want to take part. In terms of the kind of guy he is he literally dives straight in. We had a meeting and we all looked at each other and just knew that there was something sort of special in the air. In the first instance, I remember Lee saying, “What do you want me to do?” and we were so early in the idea that we hadn’t really figured much out by then, we knew the story was good.
“Once Lee had asked that, not just “can you give us an interview”, we all went and huddled in the corner and said shall we ask him if he wants to be a producer, sort of joining the club, we nervously decided to see if he wanted to do that and he said yes.
“Once those building blocks were in place the four people who drove it, David the Director, Lee who’s influence in getting the lads on board and so much insight an inspiration, me trying to be the glue and Sam the Editor who we called magic man! The desire all along was not just to make a doc but to make a film, to make something with some cinematic atmosphere.”
We asked Amy as somebody who was there (i.e. at Anfield!) how was it looking at the film now? (Lee interjects with “why are you asking her? I was there too”!!!) Not for the last time does the enormity of that night, of that spring, come to the fore.
“Nothing comes close to it. This may sound bonkers and over the top, but I think it changed my life being there. I just felt like there was a life lesson. I was 17 years old and some people were saying something was impossible, and it wasn’t. I have kind of carried that idea with me ever since. It was a very, very powerful moment in itself and it was extra powerful because of the timing because of Hillsborough, and that fact that there was 41 days between the Hillsborough disaster and that game, which staggered me.”
Having seen the film I can say how very sensitive and respectful the whole Hillsborough piece was handled. It came across from both Amy and Lee that this was so important to all involved in the making of the film.
“Sport can make people cry (I can confirm that it often does as an Arsenal fan!) but that’s one of the things that has been interesting about when we put the film together, because you know generally you think of a sports film. You think it is going to be quite uplifting and fun, but I think that is one of the things that make it special, really quite powerful. You don’t necessarily expect that if you are going to watch a sports film, but there are people who have seen it who have been properly weeping.”
Amy confirmed that one of the biggest decisions they had to make was whether to have any involvement of a Liverpool perspective, and said that primarily they were very conscious that they didn’t want it to become a Hillsborough film. That they felt they weren’t equipped to do so and that there have been some fantastic things that have been done on that, and it was better to leave it for those people to have done that work which is really really important.
“What the film does in another way, we hope, is give a kind of universal story of David against Goliath. If you hear too much from Goliath your sympathies for David get a bit confusing. Whereas if you know the film is sort of told from within the Arsenal bunker you’re getting that inner sanctum feel. This is what the lads, George Graham and people, were feeling and thinking and doing leading up to and during this momentous match.”
Amy then turned her attention to our beloved Rocky. David Rocastle was such an important member of the Arsenal team in those years, which is quite remarkable for one so young and indicative of the quality we were producing in those days.
“One of my strongest memories of Rocky was going to interview him when he was on loan at Norwich, briefly, whenever it was. We spent four hours, most of which was spent talking about Anfield 89. I cannot tell you how much he loved that game, and it’s one of the great sadnesses that he couldn’t be a more active part of this, but we have been involved with the family all the way along because we want to make sure that Rocky is very much here in spirit.”
The eloquence and love that Amy has for this project is clear to hear and it was a delight to be able to listen to her be so passionate and effusive. How glad are we that she had those original conversations?
“For me those two things, the worse thing I have ever experienced in football, and the best thing I have experienced collided. They were so connected it was really important that that was a big part of the film as well. To try portray that time and how we all felt. We were all going through it even if you were just a fan, if you were just someone who loved football in the late eighties. That period of time was absolutely overwhelming in its emotional impact.”
And now for you all to experience the film. I know you will enjoy it, however you get to see it.
With that all that remains is for me to thank Lucy for her mini-series of guest posts which I hope, and believe, have caught the flavour of the evening without too many spoilers about the truly wonderful film. Screenings started today (Saturday). Keep up with the latest at https://www.ourscreen.com/film/89 or click on the Amazon links in the sidebar to pre-order the dvd, thank you.
89 is available in OurScreen cinemas from 11th November & on DVD & Digital Download from 20th November.
53 Responses to “89 – The Producer – Amy Lawrence”
*another girl takes over the treehouse*
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*the boys huff*
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.speaking of which
i have a prior engagement
mmmm danish bacon
ps
top stuff ‘hol ‘n’ lucy ?
Evening cba.
Everything crossed.
Ireland 38-3 South Africa. What a performance in the second-half. ?
Maybe Amy could replace AW.
What the crap do I write about this week now Lucy’s brilliant posts are at an end? She made week one of the interlude awesome.
Good stuff Lucy. Looking forward to it.
Fear of the future and loathing of the present, H.
Truly a week of special posts and great memories . I remember Amy writing in the Gooner about our 1-0 win at Anfield two years later when Seaman was superb and Paul Merson scored the winner. I also remember watching Alyson Rudd of the Times emerge from the editor of an insurance magazine to become, like Amy, a highly respected Football journalist. It is terrific to see the silly glass which existed in the game , shattered by the excellent work of ladies who love the game so much and know it so well .
Lucy has knocked it out of the park Holic in a week where Dominic Solanke has now been picked ahead of Jack for England. Remember Jack who wasn’t picked because of rustiness?Solanke has played one full first team game this season. International caps are being scattered like confetti- Lewis Cook of Bournemouth has now been picked for goodness sake- that is unless you play for Arsenal.
I take very little interest in England largely because they employ prats like Southgate or racists like Sampson but in a World Cup year it is good for Arsenal to have players striving for inclusion in the squad. Every time Southgate tries to justify his selection he digs himself into a deeper hole.
A lovely ending – thanks alot Amy. Thanks again Lucy. ?
What Dan said @9 ?
And what TTG said about Southgate
@8.
Milord Bendtner came on for Denmark
last night. He didn’t score. Going to
be a tight return leg but good luck
to the Irish.
Yogi published this table of Arsenal players criminally underused by England ( or not used at all) . It makes interesting reading when you consider how many caps Jake Livermore has! Ok it’s only 6 but the point is made.
• Charlie George (0 caps at Arsenal);
• Geordie Armstrong (0);
• Peter Simpson (0);
• Jon Sammels (0);
• Steve Williams (0);
• Paul Davis (0);
• Nigel Winterburn (2);
• Steve Bould (2);
• Kevin Richardson (0);
• Ian Wright (omitted from 54 England squads);
• David Rocastle (not taken to Italia’ 90 or Euro ’92);
• Theo Walcott (omitted from World Cup finals 2010 and 2014)
Just caught up with a great series of guest posts, Holic..
Shame i hadn’t had time to look before – what a wonderful way of filling the void that is yet another Interlull. Can’t wait for the DVD to arrive now.
What could be better than sitting down to watch a DVD with a box of tissues at the ready.
Forewarned is forearmed, and all that. ?
TTG,
That is a scandalous list of “non-caps” @11.
Years, right there, of laying the foundations for our complete disinterest in the current manifestation of international football.
I’m sure he is a very decent bloke, but I can’t listen to even a minute of Gareth Southgate speaking in interview without just wanting it to be over.
All the charisma of an old sock.
Trev
I feel exactly the same about Southgate. His justification for leaving out Wilshere last week was laughable and had more holes in than a house riddled with woodworm. The Times called him out on it on Friday . To pick Solanke who has scarcely played a Premier League match ahead of Wilshere is farcical . The upshot is none of us give a shit when we see Jordan Henderson leading the team out. All the best players are LWCs but I don’t watch England any more and I don’t know many who do.
By the way I think Richardson was capped but not when he played for Arsenal
Kos and Giroud both injured playing for France in friendlies according to the French Sports press..whilst Kane and Alli put their feet up for both England friendlies…you couldn’t make this stuff up.
Hopefully the Kos thing is just
a precaution to rest his achilles.
He’d be a big miss vs the Psuds.
Delighted that the highly respected Mike Dean is reffing on Saturday. I remember he reffed the first 5-2 win and gave them a very dubious penalty , this after he skipped away in apparent delight after Saha’s deflected opener.
After that game I saw a topless woman flashing the crowds milling towards Arsenal tube. It was a day I shall never forget ( although I of course deplore her behaviour)
?
Quite.
Sweden on the edge of going through. It could be a big night for the long lost Lars and his wallet. (Lars and the long lost wallet?)
Congrats Sweden!
😀
Sweden go through in a somewhat defensive style, but just going through is what matters. Not sure I missed much by not watching any of the games. As reported by the bbc it is 9 and a half hours of World Cup playoff games since the last goal was scored (by Sweden in the first game against Italy). The 6 games since then:
Honduras 0-0 Australia
New Zealand 0-0 Peru
Denmark 0-0 Ireland
Switzerland 0-0 N Ireland
Greece 0-0 Croatia
Italy 0-0 Sweden
There will be days in the future when we will need to remember that even a team as talented as Italy can find it impossible to score against a parked bus.
I agree Bt8
I think I’d rather watch emulsion dry
Sad to learn that Tim Dudgin, the voice of BBC TV football results, has passed away.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41966183
To me, James Alexander Gordon on the radio was the exemplar of results announcers
For older ‘Holics, a clip from the golden days of radio and one-nought to the Arsenal
http://randomradio.net/audio/SportsReport1948.mp3
Historical footnote: Ronnie Rooke, who scored the goal in the 0-1 win over Chelsea in 1948-49, was the last Arsenal player to score 30 league goals in a season until TH14 in 2003-04.
Goodbye Italy and Holland
already for the World Cup
and goodbye Buffon from
international football.
I hope their exits won’t be
used as a way of saying
Southgate is doing any kind
of reasonable.
Haven’t watched much of
the World Cup play offs either
apart from the last 10 mins
of Italy/Sweden. Fraught stuff.
The Italians used to be good
at nicking it in the last ten.
Goodbye to their manager too
I guess.
A more final goodbye to Tim
Dudgin, a voice from the past.
You knew the result from the
intonation of the home team’s
score 🙂
Sorry, I should have said Tim
Gudgin not Dudgin.
I followed the infallible monks
with the spelling!
Of course, as they say in books
– all errors are my responsibility.
Monks already being lashed for their spelling shortcomings, OM. Apologies to Tim Gudgin.
NBN
🙂
They’ve been on a long winning
run Ned. Surely the feather-tipped
flail and the silk-lined hairshirt
will be enough.
Some positive Spud data will soon
have them happy haloed again.
I viewed the mid-spelling in high dudgin….sorry gudgin. I think Leonard Martin did it for years on TV but on radio, especially in the old days when you didn’t know the result or even the score very often, it was much more dramatic!
That Sports Report music still gets me even nowadays. Very, very evocative of another age
Great link NBN@26. As TTG alludes, the Sports Report music still sets the blood racing.
In that era before wall-to-wall sports news, if you had missed Sports Report or its slightly earlier TV equivalent following the revolutionary teleprinter showing the final scores, you had to rush down to the local newsagent that evening to try to get a copy of the Green Citizen or Pink Times (both titles might have a different connotation today) before they sold out or the shop closed to find out results, sometimes only to find that your match of interest had been a late kick off and its final score hadn’t made the print run and you just had to wait for the Sunday newspapers because you were certain to miss Sportscene/MotD.
The revolutionary teleprinter
might be seen as torture in
the modern day. Waiting for
your random result to come up
was agonizing at times – and then
the bloody thing would sometimes
pause halfway through as though
to tease. Not much instant
gratification in them days.
mind yer powdered eggs don’t burn , lads !
.
.
*hides own birth certificate*
?
1 nought to The Arsenal ? ned
Ned, I was wondering if the monks could be persuaded to find out precisely, or imprecisely even, when was the tipping point in “nil” taking over from “nought” as the announcers’ preference in announcing football scores on the radio?
Ireland break the drought. 1-0.
But it’s 1-1 now. Denmark even it up with an Irish own goal.
Good bye Gigi Buffon, for me the best goal keeper i ever saw in the last 20 years.
Great to read Amy’s take on the movie, i have read her book about the invincibles as well and it made you feel wonderful, this movie i am certain brings in wonderful memories and a lot of nostalgia. for me this actually makes me remember fever pitch the book and the movie for i was too young at that time to have followed the Arsenal in real time and hence when i watched the movie/read the book in later years, i realized what it would have meant. Honestly if we win the league any time now onwards, the feeling would be the same, irrespective of last day histrionics or not. The pain, the wait, the agony etc all culminating in finally the win against all odds, stuff dreams or should i say movies are made off.
Its those yuck neighbors over the weekend and frankly think we will win, just a gut feeling but we may just win this and then lose/draw next weekend. Man for man, they are better than us but just sense we may finally turn up, we better do.
Ireland not going to the World Cup?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f8BBTbWSzk
Looks like Ireland didn’t do it. 🙁
Instead, they suffered the ignominy of allowing a member of T..nham H.urs score a second half hat trick before allowing a coup de grace penalty by TGSWEL.
England will go far in the WC.. second stringers holding brazil…
😀
An account of the game for all you Danish speakers.
http://politiken.dk/sport/fodbold/vmkval/art6205249/Danmark-straffer-Irland-5-1-og-tager-VM-billet-til-Rusland
Vinay@39,
I hope your gut is spot on!
Although, I can’t agree that man-for-
man Spuds are better than us at the
moment. Others have suggested a
power shift locally and I don’t see
that either. I agree with 2 comments
I read from Cech who said
1) Success is about trophies and
Spuds have only won 1 League
Cup in the 21st Century, they have
some good young players but no
trophies
2) Spuds look to have a better
balanced team than us just now
That is fair (in my opinion) and it
seems Poch is doing a good job
with the tools (in both senses of
the word) at his disposal.
After many years of crappiness
Spuds are competitive again and
I hope we relish the challenge.
A good start would be, as you say,
turning up this weekend and
fighting for all we’re worth.
Sorry for the long post waffle and
I’m not really arguing with you
Vinay!
It’s just I don’t get the more
general sense of pessimism among
the gooner fans recently.
A hard fought 1-0 will do nicely
next game.
A couple for Iwobi against
Argentina I see, wish he’d do
the same for us.
Turning up this weekend and fighting for all we’re worth will do very nicely, thank you. COYG
well that was an unsatisfactory evenings football
.
cynic 40 ?
.
i’m fuckin rotten wi a hangover
?
(rotten without one too , booom booom)
.
*must give a hairy dog a swift medicinal trim*
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6iibYANmsk
Your sausage dog, cba?
Absolutely Osaka Matt, i would love a 1-0 to us saturday. My point was not about a power shift but more so that those totts seem to have become a unit under poch whereas we seem to be a set of players still wondering what to do when down. I despise them but deep down i would love to have seen Alderweld/Dembele/Lloris/Vertoghen here than there. No i dont care for ali or kane for i still dont think they are as good as they are made out to be but honestly i dont watch them at all.
Alternate gossip about us selling Mesut/Alexis to fund Nabil Fekir? why would they sell him is one question and 2 why sell Mesut? He is our best no 10 and no i dont agree that he goes missing, we should have protected him with a DM than a Pivot of ramsey/Xhaka who themselves want to play at his position more often not, definitely ramsey.
I believe we will win but then nowadays there is no pain when we lose against anyone, maybe denial has become acceptance.
who gives a shit about ozil, vertonghen, alexis, kane, wenger or pochetino
it’s us or them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq85vxM2DoY
Anyhoo >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>