Oscar-nominated director Ed Perkins trawled through hundreds of hours of footage of Princess Diana in search of moments he hoped would offer a new perspective on her life and public image, 25 years after her death.

His new film The Princess relies entirely on archive video to trace Diana’s life from a timid teen to her death on August 31 1997, aged 36, and the unprecedented scenes of mourning that ensued.

In eschewing interviews and retrospective analysis traditionally used as the narrative tool in documentaries, Perkins said he hoped to explore the complicated relationship between Diana, the media and the public, and elicit an emotional response from audiences...