Alek Keshishian: 5 Things To Know About Director Of Selena Gomez’s New Documentary

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• Selena Gomez is the subject of the documentary Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, which focuses on her struggles with her health, both mental and physical, over six years
• The Apple TV + project was directed by Selena’s frequent collaborator Alek Keshishian
• Alek has worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars including Madonna, with whom he shot 1991’s iconic ‘Truth or Dare’ documentary

Selena Gomez poured her heart and soul into her upcoming documentary called Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, which chronicles six years of the pop stars’ life, including her struggles with her health, both mental and physical. The result is a very personal look at the singer/actress, something she said she wanted to capture right from the beginning with the help of her director, Alek Keshishian.

“So my manager is Alek’s sister, but regardless of that, it was a moment I had in Hawaii that I’ll never forget,” Selena said about when she knew Alek was right for the movie, per Vulture. “I watched Alek’s movie with Madonna (‘Truth or Dare’), and I was completely blown away. I think it’s wonderful to see someone in that light — whether she liked it or not, I think she was so available to people. I think sometimes in my position, you can be unattainable. But she was so relatable that your heart was with her.”

Selena Gomez is opening up on her mental health journey in a new documentary “Selena Gomez: My Mind and Me.” @JujuChangABC sits down with the director. pic.twitter.com/5whW0gnhgS

— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 3, 2022

“She’s the first to admit she’s broken,” Alek said in an Nov. 3 interview with Good Morning America. When asked why Selena opened up, Alek said, “I still think she feels discomfort about the level of vulnerability that she’s given in exposing all these parts of her, but that’s transcended by her, I think, deep desire to try and make a difference in someone else’s life.”

Keep reading below to find out more about the famous director for Selena’s documentary, below.

Where is Alek from?

Alek was born on July 30,1964 in New Hampshire. After touring with national children’s theater groups and the “I Like the U.S. of A.” National Touring Company as a kid, he ended up graduating from Harvard.

He got his start in music videos with Bobby Brown and Elton John

While his parents reportedly wanted him to pursue a career in medicine, there was no denying Alek found his passion in the arts. He started making music videos for the likes of Bobby Brown (“Don’t Be Cruel,” “My Perogative”), Vanessa Williams (“Dreamin”) and Elton John (“Sacrifice”).

Madonna hand-picked him for ‘Truth or Dare’

Alek was tapped to direct Madonna’s infamous 1991 documentary Truth or Dare after he began filming backstage scenes for her HBO special about the Blonde Ambition Tour. The movie became a depiction about the drama that goes behind the scenes for one of the most famous stars ever, and it certainly hit a nerve. With it’s portrayal of homosexuals front and center and frank discussions of sex, the movie was a critically-praised blockbuster. It was the highest-grossing documentary of all time, until Bowling for Columbine surpassed it in 2002.

Alek directed Selena in ‘Hands to Myself’

When asked about why he decided to film the documentary, Alek brought up the first time he met Selena, which was in 2015 to direct the music video for her huge smash hit “Hands to Myself.” “It didn’t take me long to realize that Selena was a really special human being,” he told Vulture. “She was 23 when she did “Hands to Myself” and she was 24 when she came to me to film her Revival tour. I already felt this kind of protective feeling for her because she was so young.” He added, “I could see on the first day of filming that she was going through that struggle between being a young child star and becoming a woman. There were so many things at play.”