Gregory Nava is about how his movie “Selena” stood up in 1997

In the three decades that have passed on the death of Selena Quintanilla Perez, her story was narrated in a variety of formats, from a Podcast to A limited TV series and Children’s Book. However, a few of them remained of cultural importance such as the biography of 1997, “Selena”.

It results in quoted phrases such as “Anything for Selenas”, or credit scenes that depict her vibrant family’s relationship with her hybrid American identity, “Selena” continues to test time – and is still one of the few cinematography of the pop star that her family agreed to.

Shortly after the killing of Selena, its relatives took advantage of the director who nominated the Academy Awards Gregory Nava, who was previously narrated the stories of migrants in 1983 “EL Norte”, as well as his movie “Mi Familia” in 1995. The latter followed a Mexican American family in Los Angeles with a complete Latin crew, including Edward James Olmeos, Constance Mary, Jacob Vargas And one of Jennifer Lopez.

“The Selena family felt very strongly that the director of Latin films only would be able to understand the culture, its spirit and the world from which it came,” says Nava.

With financial support and distribution from Warner Bruce, Nava formulated and directed the film in Texas. He conducted an interview with family members and close friends of the singer, who, at the age of 23, had shed the fans across the diaspora with her singing and theatrical presence.

“It was a great light,” says Nava. “It was really tragic when she left us, but I feel her soul is still with us.”

Selena achieved 35 million dollars When she was released – Lopez’s performance as “Como La Flor” she obtained as the best nomination for the actress at the fifty -fifth annual Golden Globe Awards. De Los spoke to Nava about the permanent importance of his movie, 30 years after the star’s death.

The following was released and a shortage of clarity.

Look at me during those first moments when you were contacted about the film “Selena”.
I had a movie, “Mi Familia”, which was a tremendous success after that [Selena died]. I think AB Quintanilla watched it with his family and went, “This is what we want in Celina.” I made a deal with Moxesuma Esparza and contacted me to write and direct the movie.

Many people advised me not to do so. They said: “You are a very serious cinematic director and this is hot, common. It is a TV movie and not a good professional step for you.”

But I took her story. I was living in Venice in Los Angeles at the time and I was walking and thinking about doing the movie, I faced two young Latinists wearing Selena shirts. I asked them, “Why do you like Selena?” They looked at me and said, “Because it resembles us.”

We realized our young women, our society, we do not have pictures on the screen that resembles us. This means that the world is to see yourself on the screen. I thought, “I will do this movie for these young girls.”

Was there moments when you wear heads with the Selena family?
I will not give them approval of the text program. For me, as a way out, I wanted to really tell a true story. I had a conflict, not really with the family, but with Ibrahim. Her father was very protected.

When I sat with Chris Perez, he asked: “Do you want me to tell you what really happened? Or do you want to know what Abraham wants to know?”

I said, “I don’t care what Abraham wants. I want to know what happened.” Chris goes, “The truth is that it was not my idea of ​​fading. Selena’s idea was to expel.”

Now this is the scene you see in the movie.

When Ibrahim read the scenario, he was really annoyed because until that time, he believed that Chris’s idea was to spoil and that Chris had spoiled his beautiful daughter. So he invites me to his office and closed the door, and we had a several -hour scene. We were going through this text and the entire script, but specifically this moment.

He said, “You cannot do this, Greg … You cannot put on the screen that it is appropriate to disobey a little girl.”

I said: “Is it not important to make her do what she knows is correct? [that] She does the right thing because she knows she loves Chris and Chris loves her? “You should see these love messages that you wrote to him.

What is the love messages?
I really loved him. She knew that the only way she could be together is if she disobeyed her father, but to some extent, she would heal the entire family. When a young woman must find her independence, this will always require conflict, right?

So I said [to Abraham]”Is it not important for our young women to find themselves?”

He goes, “Well, Greg. I think if I had to look bad to make Selena look good, I will do it.” He has a soft heart and finally saw that this is the right thing to do, but it took hours of hot debate.

Filming was done shortly after Selena’s death. Are there any challenges you faced because of that?
Yes. Because of the exciting nature of her death with her fans club president, they shoot her … I mean, that people infiltrated the morgue and took pictures of Selena’s body and put it on the Internet. He was out of control. Ibrahim felt that they needed to produce a film quickly in order to consolidate the heritage of Selena.

This film has been installed into different studios. I must give a shout to Bill Jerber, who was the President of Warner Bruce at the time, and came from a musical background. He had an effective role in accomplishing this.

The studio decided to release the film on the second anniversary of its loyalty. This is really fast for a movie. They are basically green movie without text. It was a very bold and brave thing for the studio. It may take eight months to a year to do after production and mix everything; From the last day of the main photography for how long [“Selena”] I opened in theaters, I had 12 weeks. At that time, the film was released on the movie, and they had to hit 2000 publications. We did not sleep for 12 weeks to direct this movie in theaters. It was an enormous task.

How was the audience’s reaction?
When we inspected the movie, it got a file [score of] 97. [We’d] I did not see a preview like this. I love both Latinians and non -Latinians. The actors really directed these characters. It was adopted from the start because it was healing. People need to recover from this.

What role do you think the film was in the formation of Selena’s image after her death?
Ibrahim was very wise to push him quickly. Selena gathered us all, and has strengthened her legacy in a positive way. All negativity has been dispelled through this film. You see it in the movie and feel it. Jennifer Lopez was a key to bringing her light on the screen. You must have an actor you can bring. [Lopez] He lived with the family, studied videos for Selena [performing] She worked hard to pick up her heart and soul.

What are your thoughts about the various media outlets that were not approved by the family?
There are a lot of documentaries that are not from the family, which are exciting – fortunately strength and the reputation of the movie may replace all these things. I was talking to Chris Perez recently and said.[The ‘Selena’] The movie, this is the Bible. “

Why was it important to photograph in Texas?
Because this is where the story occurs! Selena is Texas, Texas is Selena. I knew that we would get the support of the Tejano community if we did the movie there.

I wanted to start with this big scene, but we had no money for additions. We shot at [Houston Astrodome scene] In Alamodom, San Antonio. We put an advertisement in the newspaper: “Come and clothes as you will come to the Selena party.” We did not know whether anyone would appear or not, [but] 35,000 people came. When you see this opening scene of the film, that’s all real. There is no CGI.

What do you say is your favorite “Selena” scene?
I love the tender scenes that are very human and emotional. I think Chris tells that they should be a great scene. Another thing I love in the movie is young children when they don’t want to train.[Or]When the two sisters are on the roof, they search for the moon and make a performance.

Have you seen the new documentary Selena, “Celina Y Los Dinos”?
I thought it was great. You can really see the true Selena in all these home videos, talk and respond with Chris and respond to her family and things. This woman is very bright and very charming.

What effect does Selena Quintanella Perez’s journey still talk to future generations?
Selena is an example of a person who overcame one obstacle after another, after the other, and I did everything with joy and enthusiasm. Here is this young woman who has become the largest star in the world of music in Tijano, and to this day, she is the first star in this type. But people do not realize what was the achievement that was in a world [dominated by] Machismo. Then it is [broke into the] The main current for American pop music [with] These are the songs of the English language that you did, “Dreaming Bey” and “I can fall in love”

I invaded this and became No. 1 as a Mexican American in Mexico. I was there at a cinematic festival, and they have Selena events in all these festivals where everyone goes and dances on Selena music. Everyone still listens to Selena, because music is immortal. After thirty years, they will continue to play [her songs]. Her light shines brighter now than ever.