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

His new movie “The Princess” is based entirely on archival footage that traces Diana’s life as a shy teenager until her death on August 31, 1997, at the age of 36, and scenes of unprecedented mourning.

Avoiding the interviews and comparative analysis typically used as a narrative tool in documentaries, Perkins said he hopes to explore the complex relationship between Diana, the media and the audience, and elicit an emotional response from audiences.

“Our hope is to use archival footage as a time machine to bring audiences back to our shared past and allow them to relive the story,” he told Reuters.

Perkins, who was 11 when Diana died and remembers the confusion of his feelings, said he hopes his approach to filmmaking encourages viewers to re-analyze their relationship with the princess.

“The most interesting thing to me is what is our role in this? What is our active role in the story? And how complicit are we?”

“The part of Diana’s story… that I felt was less relevant and more interesting to me was what did Diana’s story say about all of us?” he said.

Diana was 20 when she married Prince Charles in 1981 and became a source of worldwide admiration and interest. The breakdown of their marriage, which she blamed on Charles’ mistress and future wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, brought her into the spotlight and increased public interest in her.

Diana was killed when the limousine she was traveling in crashed into a Paris tunnel while escaping from the paparazzi.

“The Princess” will be released in theaters in Britain on June 30.

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