In mockumentary ‘Valentina,’ real life El Pasoans shine

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Valentina Torres isn’t real, but the people who cross her path in El Paso very much are.

In Brazilian American filmmaker Tatti Ribeiro’s first feature film, “Valentina,” the main character is a lively young woman who can easily connect with people and have both funny and thoughtful conversations. While Keyla Monterroso Mejia plays Valentina, most of what happens to her in the movie isn’t planned out with a script.

I first noticed her on ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ – she was hilarious! And it’s amazing to see Issa Rae and Quinta Brunson are fans too. I’m really excited to see what this talented actress, who hails from the Inland Empire, does next – I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on her career.

“Valentina” opened the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) and won director Marcos Ribeiro the Someone to Watch Award at the Film Independent Spirit Awards. Actress Jessica Alba recently joined the project as an executive producer.

Ribeiro got the idea for her docu-fiction project while working as a journalist in El Paso, covering immigration. She noticed that observing life in this border town offered valuable insights into larger global issues, and decided to create a series where a character would interact with real people in these environments.

Despite often negative news reports from El Paso during the first Trump administration, Ribeiro fondly remembers that time because of the city’s wonderful people.

She explained that she needed a blend of approaches to accurately convey her experience. As a journalist, she wanted to avoid becoming part of the story herself. Her solution was to use an actor while still allowing the true character of El Paso to shine through naturally.

When Valentina needed a tow truck driver for a scene, the filmmakers just contacted local yards hoping to find someone with a memorable personality. They also got lucky with the psychic who performed a spiritual cleanse – he was willing to be filmed. And during a scene where Valentina, short on money, visited a blood bank for the first time, they met a group of Spanish speakers who helped put her at ease.

The people featured in the show weren’t aware they were being filmed for a documentary. The filmmakers secretly set up microphones and cameras, and a producer simply told them to ignore the equipment if they noticed it. Ribeiro explained that there was no attempt to make the participants act a certain way. Additionally, a key city council meeting shown in the series actually happened, and Monterroso Mejia was filmed discreetly from the press area.

Originally from California, Monterroso Mejia didn’t know El Paso, but immediately felt a connection with the predominantly Latino community. It felt like home, and he didn’t have to change anything about himself to fit in.

She described feeling immediately comfortable, like being surrounded by family. “It felt like I already knew everyone,” she explained. “The genuine kindness and willingness to help from everyone really shone through, which is typical of the people and culture I come from.”

Ribeiro discovered Monterroso Mejia while watching “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” She was struck by the actress’s comedic timing and found it aligned with her own sense of humor.

I’m really captivated by Keyla’s reactions, her sense of humor, and how she delivers things – everything about her performance is great,” she explained. She also noted that Monterroso Mejia’s ability to speak two languages made her perfect for the part.

Monterroso Mejia, however, didn’t initially immerse herself in this singular project.

She admitted she was hesitant and scared to accept the role. The project came soon after ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm,’ and she wasn’t confident in her acting abilities or comfortable with the show’s style. Ultimately, the project’s distinctive voice and style convinced her to take a risk, even though she felt unprepared. She felt she had to say yes, despite her fears.

Valentina’s brother and father on the show were played by the actor’s actual brother, Nathan Monterroso, and father, Juan Carlos Monterroso. Ribeiro used their genuine family connection to create a compelling preview video to attract investors.

My brother was very supportive, telling me he loved me and would help with anything. Then my dad, trying to be encouraging, mentioned he used to take acting classes – he even called himself a ‘thespian,’ which didn’t really help his case! He seemed pretty enthusiastic about it, though,” Monterroso Mejia said with a playful eye roll.

The connection between Monterroso Mejia and her father in the film resonated with Ribeiro, reminding her of her own relationship with her Brazilian father. She explained that this kind of dynamic is common for first-generation Americans, no matter their parents’ country of origin.

Ribeiro’s father rarely discussed the hardships he faced as an immigrant, and he didn’t dwell on the negative aspects of his experience. “He never felt sorry for himself, and that influenced me,” Ribeiro explained. While she deeply respects her parents, she’s never viewed their immigration story as something to be pitied.

Ribeiro pointed out that a lot of discussions about immigration and Latino communities are framed by pity, which affects how people are perceived and how they feel they need to present themselves. He used his father as an example, saying he’s a complex individual – a carpenter who spends time at Home Depot, but also a talented musician with a strong ego and regrets about not achieving greater success. He feels this highlights how people are often reduced to single narratives instead of being seen as fully realized individuals.

Valentina’s strong beliefs shape all of her interactions with the people of El Paso. For example, a scene early in the film shows her talking with a group of recent immigrants. This illustrates the film’s respectful approach, portraying these individuals as multifaceted people instead of looking down on them.

They were excitedly talking about overcoming a difficult experience, saying something like, ‘We made it through!’ And I jokingly asked, ‘What about considering a Brazilian butt lift?’ That’s when the idea really started to develop,” Monterroso Mejia explained with a laugh. “In a typical movie, the focus would be on how they’d just gone through something traumatic and were now unemployed.”

You know, as a film fan, I always think about how a director chooses to approach a sensitive subject. What Ribeiro’s saying really hits home – if you constantly shove a camera in someone’s face and aggressively ask about traumatic experiences, like crossing a border illegally, you’re not going to get an honest portrayal. Give people some breathing room, let them be themselves, and then you’ll see the real story. It’s about respect, really.

For Monterroso Mejia, becoming Valentina wasn’t about acting a role, but rather drawing on her own life experiences as the child of immigrants growing up in a bilingual city like Los Angeles.

She explained that the biggest challenge was simply feeling comfortable being herself on camera, which took some getting used to. She couldn’t pretend to be someone else; she needed to genuinely connect with the material and let her natural reactions shine through.

Ribeiro credits the success of her film to the genuine and non-judgmental way Monterroso Mejia presents herself. She particularly highlighted Keyla, describing her as incredibly kind, which naturally drew kindness from others. Ribeiro felt this created a beautiful dynamic and allowed her to make a more heartfelt film than she anticipated, as she noted with a laugh.

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2026-05-28 03:31