Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me

A documentary that follows six years of a singer's life. It opens with preparations for a tour. Selena Gomez is at rehearsals, costume fittings and meetings; everything is planned and every minute is filled. The tour is cut short. Health problems begin: a diagnosis of lupus, then a transplant, then a period concerning her mental health. At one point she is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The documentary shows this from inside rather than at a distance: hospital rooms, days at home, telephone conversations and moments of crisis while the camera is running. The second line is the career itself. She has worked since childhood and lives with an image she did not choose; she says so directly in the film. In one section she visits a school in Kenya, and that journey is the calmest part of the narrative. The material is spread over many years. The director had worked with her before and part of the archive comes from that time. The narrative does not build a story of success and offers no resolution at the end. Alek Keshishian directed. It was released on a streaming service. A direct source for anyone interested in music documentary and accounts of mental health. For a viewer expecting a fan film, it gives more room to hard days than to concert footage.