Indie Film 'Valentina' Explores Latina Storytelling at the Border

Director Tatti Ribeiro, producer Jessica Alba, and star Keyla Monterroso Mejia discuss the making of the acclaimed indie dramedy.

Published on Mar. 9, 2026

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The independent feature film 'Valentina' follows a young woman as she navigates bureaucratic mishaps at the El Paso-Juarez border. Director Tatti Ribeiro, who spent years reporting from the area, aimed to translate the rich, funny, and human experience of life at the border into a cinematic language that captures what policy conversations often miss. The film blends narrative and documentary styles, with nearly 98% of the dialogue unscripted and featuring real El Paso residents delivering naturalistic performances. Producer Jessica Alba and her production company, Lady Metalmark Entertainment, were drawn to the film's humanity and complexity, while star Keyla Monterroso Mejia found the role both terrifying and transformative.

Why it matters

The film arrives at a time when the conversation around Latino representation in Hollywood remains urgent, with only a handful of Latina actors having won major awards. However, the 'Valentina' team is more focused on the storytelling than the statistics, believing that the more specific the film became, the more universal it felt. The film's success highlights the demand for nuanced, multidimensional stories about the Latina experience.

The details

Directed by Tatti Ribeiro, 'Valentina' is a hybrid film that blends narrative and documentary styles to follow its title character through a day of bureaucratic challenges at the border. Ribeiro, a former journalist who reported from El Paso, wanted to capture the rich, funny, and human experience of life in the region, drawing inspiration from filmmakers like Richard Linklater and Chloé Zhao. The film features a cast of mostly non-professional actors, with Keyla Monterroso Mejia in the lead role. Monterroso Mejia's own family members were also involved in the production, adding to the film's naturalistic feel.

  • The film premiered at the 2026 Film Independent Spirit Awards, where director Tatti Ribeiro won the Someone to Watch Award.
  • A special screening of 'Valentina' was held at UTA agency on March 10, 2026, co-hosted by Jessica Alba and Elsa Collins.

The players

Tatti Ribeiro

The director of 'Valentina' who spent years reporting from the El Paso-Juarez border region and aimed to translate the rich, funny, and human experience of life there into a cinematic language.

Jessica Alba

The actor and producer who, through her production company Lady Metalmark Entertainment, served as an executive producer on 'Valentina.' Alba was drawn to the film's humanity and complexity.

Keyla Monterroso Mejia

The Guatemalan-Mexican American actor who stars in the title role of 'Valentina.' Monterroso Mejia found the role both terrifying and transformative.

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What they’re saying

“My main problem always was that I felt like the work, while it was true and important, was disconnected between my experience making that work and what the work was saying.”

— Tatti Ribeiro, Director (Variety)

“There's tenderness, complexity, nuance that we deserve in our stories, characters, that we don't get. Oftentimes, there is a narrow one to two dimensions that they allow us to live inside of, and it's just too much for us to be more than that.”

— Jessica Alba, Producer (Variety)

“I want to be honest and say that I am literally living, breathing proof that everybody who has worked hard for representation — that is paying off. Don't stop, because look, I'm a product of all of your hard work.”

— Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Actor (Variety)

What’s next

Ribeiro is now in early preproduction on her next project, another hybrid film in the same vein as 'Valentina'.

The takeaway

The success of 'Valentina' highlights the demand for nuanced, multidimensional stories about the Latina experience in Hollywood, which has historically been underrepresented. The film's blend of narrative and documentary styles, along with its naturalistic performances, offers a fresh perspective on the complexities of life at the border.