In the 30 years since Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez's death, her legacy has lived on through her music, multiple biographic films, a TV series, and her dedicated fanbase worldwide. A new documentary produced by her family now delves deeper into the personal life of the young woman at the height of her stardom, with big career aspirations and a deep love for her inner circle.
Selena y Los Dinos, which premiered at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin on March 12, reveals a never-before-seen look into Selena's life through home footage, past interviews, and new interviews with her family members, her husband, and bandmates. SXSW badge holders and public presale ticket holders had the chance to see the premiere at the Paramount Theatre, and at additional screenings on March 14-15.
Viewers were impressed. The film won the audience award — with voting open for 30 minutes after each screening — in the 24 Beats Per Second category, which focused on musical stories. Also in the category were other documentaries as well as some narrative features. Last year's winner was Faders Up: The John Aielli Experience, which followed the life and career of one of Austin's all-time most-loved radio hosts.
Selena y Los Dinosshares personal, but not invasive, details about Selena's upbringing and her rise to fame alongside her brother, A.B. III, and sister, Suzette, in the 1970s-'80s. It describes a family rising above financial hardship in the name of making music, while also battling sexism in the Tejano music scene. Selena's role as the lead singer and Suzette's as the band's drummer challenged norms and were met with more challenges in return.
The film also gives an in-depth look at the integral part each member played in the band, with A.B. as the Dinos' producer, Chris Pérez as the guitarist, Ricky Vela as the keyboardist, Pete Astudillo as a backup vocalist. A.B., Vela, and Astudillo all had a hand in writing Selena's songs, with "Dame Un Beso" as the band's first standout hit when the singer was just 15-years-old.
Viewers — many dressed in Selena-branded shirts or jackets — laughed with the singer as she told jokes or made sarcastic comments in home videos or behind-the-scenes during interviews, and smiled as she graced each stage with her radiant energy and belted out flawless vocals. Attendees also cried as her family members recalled where they were on March 31, 1995, the day Selena was shot and killed by her former fan club president, Yolanda Saldívar.
At the time of her death, Selena was in the middle of recording her highly anticipated English crossover album, which had been a longtime goal of hers. When the title track, "Dreaming of You," was released posthumously five months after her death, A.B. admitted that it was the song he could never bring himself to listen to, stating that the beginning notes on the piano were all it took to bring him to tears. But the song became one of Selena's biggest hits, spending 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at No. 22 in 1995.
Selena y Los Dinos feels like a love letter to the late singer from her siblings, parents, her widower, and her bandmates. The vulnerability they expressed while sharing their stories was at times heartwrenching, but many of their memories illustrated Selena's bright personality, her strong will, and her drive to succeed. Her death at just 23-years-old devastated the world, but she continues to live on in the hearts of her fans and through her family.
Cinetic Media is handling sales of the film; it currently has no release date.
