Marco Castaneda is a graduate student at the California State University, Los Angeles. He is currently pursuing his Master of Fine Arts Degree in Television, Film, and Theatre, and expects to graduate in the Spring of 2023. He has a strong passion for creating stories as well as reading them. Marco believes that art helps people to give a unique perspective of our lives and the lives of others. He is also currently a substitute teacher for K-12th grade and hopes to teach students how to use their creativity through all aspects and subjects of their lives and not to be afraid of using their talents.
Nov 10, 2022
Table of Contents
Photo: ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me’
The Child-star Actress-turned Pop Superstar
Selena Gomez is a prestigious celebrity who has been known for her amazing acting abilities since she was a child. She had her start in stardom by acting in ‘Barney & Friends’ (2002-2004). As a teenager, she starred in the hit television show called ‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ starring as Alex Russo, the show’s main character.
At one point, she began a sensational pop career, becoming a top 5 artist with her group, “Selena Gomez & the Scene.” As she got older, she and her mother became executive producers for the show, ‘13 Reasons Why.’ One would think that Selena Gomez is a happy-go-lucky celebrity who has it figured all out. Now she even has a hit television show that is streaming on Hulu that she executive produces and stars in, ‘Only Murders in the Building,’ also starring the legendary comedic duo Steve Martin and Martin Short.
What the average viewer does not know is the internal struggles that she had faced over the years of being famous. The reader should keep this in mind. She has been working in the entertainment industry since she was seven years old. Sometimes being in the famous spotlight can take a toll on child-star actors. Now Selena Gomez has released her latest documentary ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me’ which focuses on her life in show business and takes a closer look at her mental and physical health. Her story mostly focuses on her time as a pop artist who was burned out after touring for her album “Revival” with 55 performances under her belt.
She began being filmed around 2015 and lasted for six years. The documentary is directed by Alek Keshishian, who directed the pop artists’ music video ‘Hands to Myself.’ The purpose of their collaboration in making this six-year journey of her career is to show a vulnerable side of an individual that is simply trying to fight her demons. Alek Keshishian is also a fitting director for the project since he did a documentary for Madonna in 1991 called ‘Madonna: Truth or Dare.’ Now he focuses more on a multi-talented young woman who just turned 30. The story will focus on her twenties as an artist who moves forward with her career managing mental and physical issues.
‘Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me’ – Her Mental and Physical Health
Selena Gomez has been open to her fans about her mental health. She has insecurities that make her feel unsure about herself. She had suffered from depression due to her bipolar disorder. Throughout the documentary, it has been shown that she has been asked by her companion, Raquelle Stevens to take her morning meds. Despite the fact that Selena Gomez is still very young and energetic, she also suffers from some very serious health issues.
Selena Gomez has been diagnosed with lupus. At a certain point, she goes through a kidney transplant, and because she had suffered from juggling both aspects of her overall well-being, she had to cancel the tour of her second studio solo album “Revival” in 2016. At one point, she had to visit a psychiatric hospital to have her mental health diagnosed.
The documentary does a splendid job of keeping the viewer entertained. There is black-and-white concert footage of Selena Gomez which has been demonstrated early on to get the audiences engaged on how hard Selena worked for her fans. The film is not afraid to demonstrate therapy sessions to get a closer insight into Selena’s mental health and physical issues. We also get an understanding of her mind with first-person diary entries. Friends and collaborators explain how they know Selena personally. The documentary also takes an interesting approach by showing Selena visiting a school in Kenya that she funded. She takes the opportunity to confess the diagnosis of her bipolar disorder and her struggles with lupus. This experience has given her a sense of awareness of the disadvantages in her life as well as the importance of inspiring others who might have similar struggles. The documentary does a good job of having everything revealed about Selena Gomez’s decisions about her journey of self-care while still having a career to distract her from her limitations.
There was even a moment when she took a road trip and visited Grand Prairie, Texas, which is her childhood hometown. She reunites with old neighbors that she hasn’t seen in a while. This tactic is very useful because we don’t see her as a pop artist who is keeping her fans happy. We see her as a young woman who’s trying to enjoy her life by reconnecting with the past just like any other person would due for the sake of nostalgia.
Selena Gomez’s documentary will be not only enjoyable for die-hard fans of hers, but to the average viewer that is curious to know why she deserves her own biography on Apple TV+. The fans must be warned, the film spends so much time in environments such as doctor’s offices and not have enough B-roll footage of her working in recording studios. The director even does a good job of not glamorizing her in any way whatsoever. Keshishian wants us to see Selena Gomez as a human being instead of Hollywood’s “product” for her audiences. Her documentary makes light of bipolar disorder, the diagnosis of lupus, and how it has taken a toll on the young woman who has had a prestigious career. There was also no involvement towards celebrity friends or acquaintances. The director doesn’t need celebrity cameos to sell the film. She is interested in raw honesty, not facade. Selena Gomez fans will see the truth about Selena Gomez as a person and more.
Written and Directed by Alek Keshishian
Produced by John Janick, Steve Berman, Michelle An, Caitlin Daily, Aleen Keshishian, Alek Keshishian, Katherine LeBlond
Starring Selena Gomez
By Marco Castaneda
Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.
I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.”
Marco Castaneda is a graduate student at the California State University, Los Angeles. He is currently pursuing his Master of Fine Arts Degree in Television, Film, and Theatre, and expects to graduate in the Spring of 2023. He has a strong passion for creating stories as well as reading them. Marco believes that art helps people to give a unique perspective of our lives and the lives of others. He is also currently a substitute teacher for K-12th grade and hopes to teach students how to use their creativity through all aspects and subjects of their lives and not to be afraid of using their talents.
Marco Castaneda is a graduate student at the California State University, Los Angeles. He is currently pursuing his Master of Fine Arts Degree in Television, Film, and Theatre, and expects to graduate in the Spring of 2023. He has a strong passion for creating stories as well as reading them. Marco believes that art helps people to give a unique perspective of our lives and the lives of others. He is also currently a substitute teacher for K-12th grade and hopes to teach students how to use their creativity through all aspects and subjects of their lives and not to be afraid of using their talents.
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