• Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band A new documentary about the legendary rockers as they prepare and hit the road for their first tour in seven years.
• Director Thom Zimny ​​opens up to PEOPLE about working with The Boss and his bandmates
• Zimny ​​says one scene in particular, where Springsteen and Scialfa sing “Fire,” shows their “deep love”

There’s a scene in it Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Where Boss And Patti ScialfaOn stage with his wife of 33 years Singing “Fire”

The chemistry between the two is palpable; As the rockers exchange flirty glances and gentle touches, it feels as if watching the performance is somehow an invasion of their privacy.

When director Thom Zimny ​​was filming “Fire” for his new documentary (currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu), he knew he was giving the world a glimpse of the incredibly strong bond between Springsteen, 75, and Scialfa, 71.

“I see a deep love in the way they look at each other while singing ‘Fire,’” he says. “But I also see two great actors embracing life, which is a huge theme in the movie. He brings out the playfulness that you only really see when you’re offstage with Bruce and Patti. “I see a work ethic and focus in both, and I’ve always stuck with that.”

The performance scene is just one of Zimny’s many fleeting glimpses into the inner workings of the E Street Band as they prepare for their concerts. First tour in seven years. The director has been Springsteen’s collaborator for the past 24 years and has thus gained the star’s trust, granting him unprecedented access to his creative process.

“Bruce and I had the same conversation at the beginning of a project. Either Bruce or Jon (Landau) calls my cell phone and says, ‘The band will rehearse next Thursday, Friday and the following Monday.’ We thought it would be a good idea for you to stop by,’” he says. “And I said, ‘Okay for the shoot?’ I will say. And they will say ‘Yes’.”

Zimny ​​continues: “It’s a great job but what comes with this freedom and confidence is that I will be invisible. “There were no pre-planned discussions… Everything happened spontaneously and I had a lot of time to talk about the group so they could elaborate and explain some of the things I was filming.”

outline of the documentary The rocker says it’s a series of poignant voice-overs that reflect everything from the subtle mechanics of putting on a three-and-a-half-hour show, courtesy of Springsteen, to broader ideas like “life, death, and everything in between.” in the document.

“I plan to keep going until the wheels come off and the band follows me,” Springsteen adds. “There’s one thing I know. After 50 years on the road, it’s too late to stop.”

But the heart of the film is the camaraderie between the bandmates, as well as the ease and flow of watching friends and colleagues whose lives have been intertwined for 50 years. saxophone player Clarence ClemonsKeyboardist and organist Danny Federici, who died in 2011 and died in 2008, appears multiple times in archival footage; Zimny ​​says the aim of this is to take viewers into “dream space”.

In a pivotal moment, Scialfa reveals for the first time that she is I was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer In 2018.

Zimny ​​says this revelation came up “in an organic conversation” while talking about music and touring.

“It’s a wonderful moment in the documentary because you see the beauty and power of her performance, but she also gave me the sacred confidence of her current situation and explained it to me,” he says. “I’m really excited that he’s making new music now and I’ve listened to the album and it’s really amazing. So I hope to continue my journey with him in the next film.”

Zimny ​​shot hundreds of hours of footage and included archival footage. Nothing was written into the script and that’s what he wanted.

“It was great to document it because if you’re a casual fan or an uber fan, you got to see the process inside and also some of the beautiful little moments where the band comes together in a circle before the show. “It means something to Bruce,” he says.