Hot Docs 2025 - Selena y Los Dinos Review

 

It’s been 30 years since the world lost the magnificent Selena Quintanilla - one of the biggest tragedies in the history of American music. There’s been no shortage of Selena media since - from the beloved J-Lo starring biopic, to the critically panned and quickly cancelled Selena: The Series on Netflix. The story being told by Selena y Los Dinos may be familiar by many. It’s an essential retelling of Selena’s musical legacy, from child singer with her family band to the impact she left behind on the contemporary world. This is mostly done through interviews with her closest family members and musical collaborators. 

The mere existence of a fully authorized documentary on Selena, after a well respected and also authorized narrative telling of the story begs the question: why now? This expansive retelling thankfully uses all the right tools and totally justifies it’s existence - as this story has never been told this way before.

It’s easiest to praise Selena y Los Dinos for its technical qualities - which are stunningly done and a great hook. The musical performances absolutely boom in a cinema setting - the bass is so heavy that the seats end up vibrating. Director Isabel Castro allegedly set out to make the newly restored performance sequences in a way that lets the audience members feel like they’re at the show. It works to awe-inspiring and jaw dropping effect. 

Speaking of which, the restored footage being presented here is really special. A lot of what’s provided is home video material - the way it’s been made so vivid and sharp is really impressive. And what’s selected is truly effective - Castro deserves to be endlessly commended for such thorough research in finding this treasure trove of materials. The way it’s strung together feels like the closest thing we’ll ever get to Selena telling her story on her own terms - and it’s wonderful how that was successfully done. The way the footage anchors the story, with scrapbook-style editing interweaving family photos and newspaper clippings fosters a truly unique and warm viewing experience.

This will likely not apply to long-time fans, but those looking to learn about Selena through this film might be dissappointed. Her family members are speaking more so towards their musical experiences with her, and what she meant to them. We don’t get to know much about the type of person she was, but after all, that’s not the kind of story the filmmakers here were looking to tell. Castro & co. were treated so graciously and generously by the Quintanilla family for their desire to create a celebration of Selena’s art and impact. To sacrifice any sensationalization of her death, personal details and/or outside perspectives is worth the exchange. Its truest success lies in creating a story about one persons strong hand in changing Tejano music, and in general, American pop music. If that’s the goal, we’re in good hands with this interpretation of Selena’s story.

Rating: 8/10

Hot Docs 2025 runs until May 4th. Tickets can be purchased at hotdocs.ca. Selena y Los Dinos has one final screening on Saturday, May 3rd, 5pm at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema. The film is currently finalizing a distribution deal - updates will be provided on the @motto_pictures Instagram page later this month.