Acclaimed filmmaker Asif Kapadia has directed a new documentary focusing on Liverpool football legend Sir Kenny Dalglish.
The project uses exclusively archival footage to capture his sporting excellence and leadership.
The film chronicles Dalglish's 22-year playing and managerial career at Celtic and Liverpool, where he secured numerous titles.
Beyond athletic achievements, the narrative emphasizes his role as a stabilizing figure for the community during the aftermath of the 1985 Heysel stadium tragedy and the 1989 Hillsborough disaster.
Kapadia, a lifelong Liverpool supporter, structured the project to introduce Dalglish's historical significance to contemporary generations.
The director maintained his signature filmmaking style by conducting audio-only interviews with the subject rather than employing traditional on-camera setups.
"Kenny, genuinely, is the reason why I’m a Liverpool fan all these years later, now in my mid-50s," said Kapadia.
The filmmaker noted that international audiences who previewed the production expressed surprise at the modernity and speed of Dalglish's historical playing style.
"Friends and people around the world who’ve seen the film had no idea how good he was and how modern he was," said Kapadia.
Kapadia realized during production that Dalglish's enduring legacy extends far beyond his achievements on the football pitch.
"I started off making a film about a footballer, and realised … the reason why people still sing his name now isn’t the football.
It’s what he did to stand up for the fans after Hillsborough," said Kapadia.
The director expressed concern that younger generations lack a complete understanding of the systemic judicial failures surrounding the 1989 tragedy.
"My kids’ generation … they’ve never really understood what happened at Hillsborough. Kenny just stayed strong.
He didn’t leave, he didn’t go off to another club. He stayed and for him, it was all about the community," said Kapadia.
Kapadia recalled pitching the low-key production format to Dalglish during an in-person meeting at a European Champions League match.
"I said ‘I have a very particular way of working, Kenny, I don’t have a camera. We just meet.
We have a chat. I’ll record the sound.
I’ll ask you questions. You give me answers.
I go off and make it’. He goes, ‘no cameras?’
I’m like, ‘yeah, yeah, really low-key’. That was it," said Kapadia.
The filmmaker developed this specific archive-constructed methodology while working on his 2010 sports documentary about Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna.
"I spent a lot of time researching, and I just thought, there’s a better film here. There’s a much more original way to make a film," said Kapadia.
Kapadia avoided filmed interviews during his subsequent Oscar-winning project, Amy, to build trust with the late singer's inner circle.
"[Filmed interviews] would have been the worst thing ever. No one would have talked to me," said Kapadia.
The director utilized intimate audio and home videos to explore the complex factors surrounding the singer's untimely death.
"I wanted to show how amazing she was, and also to show how the industry and the media and family and boyfriends, that everyone somehow is involved in this very complex story," said Kapadia.
Kapadia stated that traditional modern interviews disrupt the immersion of historical sports and music documentaries.
"If you’re talking about an athlete, or if you’re talking about a singer … It’s all about what they did at the time when they were the athlete.
So talking to people now or seeing their faces now … I think it’s the worst, clunkiest form of filmmaking," said Kapadia.
Former Liverpool midfielder Craig Johnston, who joined the club in 1981, provided additional insight into Dalglish's welcoming nature and leadership style inside the Anfield dressing room.
"The first thing he said to me was: ‘Where are you going to live?’" said Johnston.
Johnston remembered navigating early language barriers with Dalglish and his family due to their strong regional accents.
"He had a particularly thick brogue that even other Glaswegians said was hard to understand, and I couldn’t understand a word he said.
I met his wife and I couldn’t understand a word Marina said either," said Johnston.
Johnston noted that Dalglish commanded immense respect from his teammates through his actions and standard of play rather than verbal commands.
"Kenny didn’t have a grand vocabulary and was suspicious of those who did. He didn’t say much and he didn’t need to.
How he played was so professional and so committed that he never had to say anything," said Johnston.
Following Dalglish's appointment as player-manager in 1985, he immediately established a professional boundary with the squad.
"When he became manager, he said: ‘Don’t call me Kenny, call me gaffer.’
And what we had to do was to follow his standard on the field," said Johnston.
Johnston described the dressing room environment as an intense space where honest assessments were highly valued by the players.
"Some brutal truths were told [in the dressing room], and these were days when truth and valour were respected.
But his effort, his energy to do the right thing by the club, was 10 out of 10," said Johnston.
Current Liverpool defender Andy Robertson discussed the historic connection of Scottish players at Anfield during a BBC interview with Dalglish and his daughter, Kelly Cates.
"When I first signed, all the names were thrown at me," said Robertson.
Robertson recognized that Liverpool fans traditionally associate players from Scotland with competitive success and high work rates. "Your dad, Alan Hansen and [Graeme] Souness...
I know the Liverpool fans do love a Scottish player in their team.
And I know usually if there's a Scottish player, it brings a bit of success as well," said Robertson.
Dalglish praised Robertson's nine-year tenure at the club before lightheartedly commenting on the defender's proximity to his national appearance record.
"I'm just a wee bit upset with the number of caps you've got with Scotland," said Dalglish.
Dalglish jokingly suggested a timeline for the national team captain's international retirement plan. "And I think you should retire after the World Cup!"
said Dalglish.
Robertson reflected on how the Liverpool squad had to manage their professional responsibilities following the sudden death of teammate Diogo Jota in July 2025.
"None of us cared about football," said Robertson.
The defender explained that the emotional impact of the accident significantly disrupted the team's planned pre-season physical preparation.
"Pre-season is used to get you fit and things like that. The manager and the coaches couldn't really do that," said Robertson.
Robertson described the difficulty of maintaining performance standards while serving as a source of distraction for grieving supporters.
"We then start the season really well in difficult circumstances because as footballers you've got no option.
The players have to continue because everyone still wants to see a Liverpool team on the pitch," said Robertson.
The emotional toll eventually affected the squad's tactical consistency on the pitch throughout the competitive football league season.
"We then become inconsistent and I think that has a big part to play in it," said Robertson.
Robertson refused to use the off-field tragedy as a definitive justification for the club's current fifth-place league standing.
"We have let ourselves down this season and we're not hiding away from that fact," said Robertson.
The defender pointed out specific deficiencies in competitive intensity that hindered the team's campaign goals. "Our performances haven't been good enough at times.
Our consistency hasn't been good enough, our aggression, determination - everything that makes a Liverpool team," said Robertson.
Robertson recalled how former manager Jürgen Klopp motivated the squad to recover after losing the 2018 Champions League final to Real Madrid.
"This is just the start of our journey. We'll be back here next year," said Klopp.
The reassurance galvanized the players, driving them to secure the European title the following season in Madrid.
"When we got to the final in Madrid there was no way anyone was standing in our way," said Robertson.
Robertson recalled realizing the immense historical pressure surrounding Liverpool's long-awaited domestic league title campaign when he first arrived at Anfield.
"We knew how desperate people were for a Premier League at Liverpool," said Robertson.
The long gap since the club's last domestic title created an intense desire among the fan base for league success.
"I think that was the one thing I really felt when I signed," said Robertson.
Supporters openly communicated their urgency regarding the top-flight trophy during that multi-year rebuilding period.
"The fans were basically desperate for the Premier League at that time because it had been so long," said Robertson.
Following Klopp's departure, new manager Arne Slot defied external skepticism by guiding Liverpool to its 20th English top-flight league title.
"We wanted to prove to the world that Liverpool could carry on without the amazing manager Klopp," said Robertson.
Robertson noted that external football pundits heavily doubted the team's ability to secure the championship under new management.
"I don't think anyone tipped us to go on and win the Premier League," said Robertson.
Robertson is currently preparing for his final competitive match for Liverpool against Brentford at Anfield on Sunday, which takes place alongside the departure of teammate Mohamed Salah.
"I'm trying to take it in this week," said Robertson.
The defender is focusing on appreciating his final days interacting with the club staff and squad members at the training ground.
"I know how important it is and what a nine years it's been. I'm just trying to enjoy my last week of seeing everyone...
and then when it comes to the game on Sunday, I'll try and enjoy it," said Robertson.
