The earthly presence of "La Diva de la Banda" Jenni Rivera may be gone, but the superstar's legacy continues to prove its endurance; the singer's first and last ever acting role in "Filly Brown" debuted recently revealing a new side of the iconic musician in the first trailer released for the film.
Making its official premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012, Rivera's first and only film, "Filly Brown," received a strong opening with generally positive reviews. The movie tells the story of the eponymous character, a Latino "street poet," who attempts to fix her broken family - ripped apart by drug abuse and crime - by becoming a famous rapper. Rivera plays the young heroin's conniving, incarcerated mother.
The filmmakers behind "Filly Brown" were reportedly initially skeptical Rivera would even consider taking the role because of her high profile. But they were blown away when she accepted the part, saying they were impressed by how her enthusiasm for the role, raw acting energy on set, and her "life experience" allowed her to truly inhabit the character.
"It was a lot to ask of a woman of her caliber," explained co-director Youssef Delara to the Los Angeles Times last month.
"She's sort of like the every woman. A lot of women can relate to the fact that she's not this ingénue. She's just this woman who went through a lot and was forged by all the terrible things she went through," said Delara.
Co-director Michael Olmos praised her humble nature and ability to draw on her own life for inspiration while acting in the film.
"She was so honest and open with her life," said Olmos to the Los Angeles Times.
"There was never a wall between her in a professional level and her in a personal level. All her scars were just there, and people can relate to that."
Rivera and six others were killed last month when the small private Learjet carrying them plummeted from 28,000 feet and crashed into a mountainous area 9,000 feet above sea level, according to Mexico's transportation secretary. The jet was flying them from the northern Mexican city of Monterrey to the central city of Toluca.
According to CNN, the cause of the crash is under investigation. The accident report will not be ready for nine months to a year, the secretary of communications and transportation said.
The DEA recently announced that it is currently investigating Starwood Management, the company that owns the luxury jet that crashed and killed Rivera and her crew. The agency seized two of its planes earlier this year as part of the ongoing probe, reported The Huffington Post.
"Known to fans as 'La Diva de la Banda' or The Diva of Banda Music, Rivera was well-established as a musical powerhouse with her Spanish-language performances of regional Mexican corridos, or ballads. For fans, the nickname captured her powerful voice and the personal strength many admired," said USA Today.
Producers questioned whether or not "Filly Brown" should be released at all following the artist's untimely passing, but any trepidation seems to have vanished. "Filly Brown" now has an April 13 release date, according to Contact Music.
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