Los Lobos Documentary ‘Native Sons’ In The Works
Los Lobos are to be the subject of the feature-length documentary with the working title Los Lobos: Native Sons, currently in production and slated for a 2024 release. The film will feature testimonials from George Lopez, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Waits, Dolores Huerta, Bonnie Raitt, Flaco Jimenez, Cheech Marin. Watch a trailer below.
The film is co-directed by veteran filmmaker, producer, and editor Doug Blush (Like a Rolling Stone, 20 Feet From Stardom, and last year’s Academy Award winner The Elephant Whisperers). Blush says, “Los Lobos, as much as any modern band, has expanded and re-defined what’s possible in American music, and in their phenomenal half-century and counting, they’ve created a global fan base that proves that the wolf is very, very alive.”
Los Lobos’ Louie Pérez was asked by Variety what made the band say yes to the documentary. “To tell you the truth, I really don’t know! Honestly, all seriousness aside, I think it was due. We are at a milestone, to say the least. I think there’s a little bit of vanity. I think it’s important for people to know what we’ve been doing for the past fifty years and how significant it is culturally and as a people, as Americans of Mexican descent living in the United States. It’s an important thing.
“I mean, I’m 70 years old, which is a scary number, but now I’m thinking about, you know, ‘What was that all about?; I’m looking back at my story, and I’m interested in learning about other people’s stories. I’m reading more biographies, how did they do it, you know? And the way that I can reference my own career and life, I’m interested in that and I think many people are really fascinated by the back story. Documentaries are ubiquitous; they’re everywhere. You could spend a month watching them 24 hours a day on streaming channels. I think there’s a natural curiosity for people to know how someone ticks and I think that now there’s an opportunity, in this particular case, for Piero, Doug, and the crew that have been following us around for the past couple of years to, you know, cover that story, to unravel that ball of twine and find out what’s at the center of this band.”