New documentary reveals the most intimate side of Selena Quintanilla: ‘Her legacy is a tool of power’

Corpus Christi hasn’t changed much since Selena Quintanilla sang “Como la Flor” at rodeos and fairs in South Texas. The Gulf wind still carries the scent of gasoline and cotton, and her smile remains unchanged on the statue on the waterfront, as if tragedy hadn’t touched her.

Now, three decades after her murder at the age of 23, a new documentary reopens the Quintanilla family archives. It does so not with nostalgia, but with an unprecedented intimacy. The project is directed by Isabel Castro, 35, a Mexican-born filmmaker raised in Connecticut and known for her documentary Mija (2022), about young Latinas who dream of succeeding in the music industry.

“When Selena’s family decided they were finally ready to make a documentary, they were already familiar with my work. Mija touched on many of the issues they wanted to explore: identity, music, Mexican heritage. And that’s how we met,” Castro recalls about the genesis for this new documentary, Selena y Los Dinos: A Family’s Legacy, which will premiere on Netflix on November 17. It was Suzette Quintanilla, Selena’s older sister and drummer for the band Los Dinos, who first reached out to her. “We had great chemistry from the start. Shortly after, the entire team traveled to Corpus Christi, and upon arrival, she opened her family archive. It was a closet full of VHS tapes, DVDs, home recordings… At that moment, I understood there was an opportunity to do something different, something authentic.”

That closet became the basis for the documentary. For more than two years, Castro and her team cataloged and digitized all the material. “It was a very long process, but also a very intimate one,” Castro acknowledges. “During that time, trust was built with the family. They understood that I didn’t want to make another film about the tragedy, but about Selena’s life, joy, and creative force.”

Throughout the conversation, Castro seamlessly switches between English and Spanish, as if the two languages intertwine like their identities. “I’m Mexican, but I also grew up in the United States. I never felt completely from either country,” she says. “And that’s precisely what connected me so deeply to Selena. She was one of the first figures I saw being completely herself, unapologetic for not fitting in. She was criticized for not speaking perfect Spanish, and she didn’t care. She taught us not to apologize for who we are. That confidence was vital for me as a Mexican-American.”

Castro speaks calmly, but with the passion of someone who knows she’s touching on a shared cultural wound. In Selena y Los Dinos, the director moves away from the Hollywood portrayal and focuses on the woman behind the Queen of Tejano music. “What surprised me most when reviewing the archives was the level of family involvement,” the filmmaker explains. “I knew they had worked together, but I didn’t imagine to what extent. A.B. III [Abraham Isaac Quintanilla, Selena’s brother] was a brilliant producer; Suzette, a key member of the band; Marcella [her mother], the heart that held everything together. Together they built a sound that is still heard everywhere. Selena was only 23 years old, but in that short time they created more hits than many artists do in their entire careers.”

Before the interview ends, Castro agrees to a lighthearted question: her favorite Selena song and outfit. She laughs. “My favorite song is ‘Como la flor,’ without a doubt. And my favorite look isn’t an outfit, it’s the cow print.” In fact, during the conversation with EL PAÍS, she herself is wearing a cow-print belt.

The film, which arrives on Netflix after screening at several festivals, including Sundance where it won Best Documentary, not only rescues the memory of an artist. It also gives Selena back her voice in a universal language: that of authenticity. In an era where identities continue to be challenged, Castro achieves what seemed impossible: to make Selena, 30 years later, sing again for her audience in 109 countries and more than 32 languages.

Three decades after a loss that marked an entire generation, Selena’s name, which does not require a last name, continues to resonate throughout the continent. While the documentary revives her voice on screen, the temporary exhibition Selena: From Texas to the World will open its doors at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles between January 15 and March 16, 2026, showing for the first time outside of Texas the red Porsche, dozens of portraits, costumes, gold records, and the original awards of the short-lived and young legend that was Selena Quintanilla-Pérez.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAÍS USA Edition