THE director of the TT film TT3D: Closer to the Edge said he was delighted with the response to the film when he visited the Island in June.
Director Richard de Aragues spoke to isleofman.com reporter Tessa Hawley in TT week and said he was pleased with how the film was being received.
He said: "I'm so pleased that all the bikers, the fans, the professionals and also really importantly the wider audience, liked it. We really wanted to bring this to the wider audience.
"I'm chuffed. Number one I had a fantastic opportunity with CinemaNX - they gave me the chance to come and make a film about something I'm so passionate about. I'm passionate about film making and I'm passionate about bikes – but at the same time I was like 'I can't get this one wrong can I!'"
Almost 13,000 tickets were sold for screenings of the film in the Isle of Man between April and June and increased demand led to the film being shown three times a day at the Broadway Cinema.
TT3D: Closer to the Edge documents the 2010 TT Races and follows some of the top riders including Guy Martin, John McGuinness, Ian Hutchinson and local rider Conor Cummins.
Richard continued: "A lot of the purists might say 'oh god there should have been more racing' – but you can always buy a fantastic North One or Duke DVD and have two hours of racing.
"This was more about the human story and for me it was, for once, more about getting into the psychology – what it's like to be a racer, what it's like to be one of the women who waits, one of the women who races, and to open it up.
"And also I think it was very important to show how down to earth these top lads are – they're ordinary guys. These guys are just lovely, warm, funny people who do something which actually is beyond bravery. Not only are they really talented but they are men of steel."
Both Conor and Guy had near-miss crashes during last year's TT and these are well documented within the film. The film also features Bridget Dobbs the wife of New Zealand rider Paul Dobbs who was killed during the 2010 event.
Richard said he felt it was important to portray that the event was dangerous. He explained: "There was a lot of almost concern at the beginning of making this. Everyone said 'We're going to be brave. We're going to say this is our sport - this is the truth of what it's about'.
"It's very life affirming and it wasn't swept under the carpet. We all know when we come to the TT the risks and the families know the risks and the organisers know the risks. But what I think really came out in the film is this is all about freedom – freedom of choice.
"Here is something that showed incredible freedom of will - to go out there and test yourself - and I think it was very important to get the amazing response from Bridget who had had the greatest loss of anybody and yet was so full of love for the Island – the best years of her life - and her philosophy on life is a real uplifting one."
Update: TT3D: Closer to the Edge was released on DVD on Monday, November 28. Music mogul Simon Cowell even "tweeted" his thoughts on the film. For more on this click here.
This story is part of isleofman.com's Review of the Year 2011.
