I'm Still a Superstar (2025)

[bunniefuu]

In the year 2000,

a group of unlikely characters

took over TV screens across Spain.

Tamara, an unclassifiable singer,

was at the center of this surreal storm

of lies and betrayal.

[cosmic tinkle]

Twenty-five years later...

[television buzzing]

...the scars of that phenomenon

still remain.

Get your good-luck grapes ready...

-All right, get ready.

-...because the year 2000 is about to start.

-The ball is dropping...

-There it goes.

[wild cheering]

-[male presenter] Happy 2000!

-[female presenter] Happy New Year!

[presenter 1] More and more homes

are connecting to the Internet.

Now, let's meet the ten contestants

of Big Brother.

[presenter 2] He's made it. Almodvar,

fourth Spanish director to win an Oscar.

[presenter 3] What events took place

at the turn of the century

for such a phenomenon to be born?

They play "No Cambi,"

and inevitably, something stirs inside.

["No Cambi" by Tamara playing]

[woman 1] Tamara was ultra-famous.

[man 1] She was like a Martian

from a different planet.

[man 2] The way she moved,

her face, the wig she'd sometimes wear...

She had this androgynous look.

Very David Bowie, very New Romantic.

[man 3] That vibrant Basque glamour,

which had never existed before.

[presenter 4]

"Goddess of the underground," "TV animal..."

We've run out of words

to define "Tamaramania."

[music ends]

[presenter 5] Every single one of

Tamara's so-called friends now hate her.

"No Cambi" has become

the golden-egg goose,

and now everyone wants a slice of the pie.

[dark music playing]

[woman 2] That bunch of freaks.

It was a freak show.

[presenter 6] Here's Leonardo Dants.

Let's see what happens.

[Leonardo] First of all, Tamara,

if we both made "No Cambi" famous,

I don't think it's fair you turn your back

on me and go your merry way.

[presenter 6] Paco Porras!

Is this all a set-up you two created?

-Tamara, are you pregnant?

-[Tamara] Of course.

-[presenter 6] And Paco got you pregnant?

-Yes, Paco Porras. Yes, sir.

[presenter 7] This is what Tony Genil said

about the meal for the King of Pop.

Michael Jackson ate pasta in my house,

cooked by me, Tony Genil.

[Tamara] That blonde

who accused me of plagiarizing her voice...

-[presenter 7] Loly lvarez.

-[Tamara] Exactly.

And to make matters worse, that clown

had the audacity to plagiarize my voice.

[presenter 8] Arlekin, the villain

who wanted to drag Tamara

through the mud of pseudopornography.

[drum roll]

[sirens blaring]

["No Cambi" by Tamara playing]

[singing "No Cambi"]

-Show some respect!

-You're right.

f*ck you, you son of a b*tch!

[music fades]

[tranquil music playing]

YURENA

SINGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS "TAMARA"

Hello, Yurena.

Hello, Luca.

-[Luca] How are you?

-Very good. And you?

Come on in.

How about we start at the very beginning?

I want you to tell me

about your bond with your mother.

-[Yurena] It was very strong.

-[Luca] Since you were a child?

Since I was born.

PSYCHOTHERAPISMy mother gave up her own life

to help me with mine.

My mother was... She was my soulmate...

My great and true love.

[presenter 9] She's the artist's mother.

The woman who gave up everything

for the love of her daughter

is Margarita Seisdedos.

[Yurena] She always protected me so much.

As a believer, I know she's somewhere.

[tranquil music continues]

[Luca] Part of grieving

is learning different ways to connect

with the people who aren't here anymore.

[brick scraping faintly]

[music turns dark]

[Yurena, voice breaking] As you can see,

when I talk about her, I start crying.

I feel this... this immense emptiness.

[presenter 9] For Margarita,

her daughter always came first.

She'd give her life for her,

she made that clear.

Nobody really knows the new music star

better than Seisdedos herself.

[applause]

[water running]

[Yurena] Although it might seem strange,

I couldn't get rid of her ashes.

I couldn't bury her.

[poignant music playing]

[Tamara] It's all I had left of her.

[Luca] When we feel

this kind of connection,

we can make the person seem

bigger than they are.

We can't see any negatives.

And this kind of connection

can sometimes make grieving more difficult

and complex.

I'd sometimes tell her

that I wish I didn't love her so much.

[poignant music intensifies]

[Tamara] And it's been almost four years

and eight months.

I feel like it's time to let her go.

[bell tolls]

[Yurena] This grief is heavy

but... it's something I have to do.

I know it's what she would've wanted.

[music, bell tolling continues]

I'M STILL A SUPERSTAR

[indistinct chatter]

-[passerby] Look. It's Tamara.

-She's live on TV every night.

-Hello.

-You are gorgeous.

-Thank you so much.

-I see you on TV every day.

Thank you so much, darling.

[melancholic music playing]

THE HOTTEST FESTIVAL

CONFIRMED ARTIS[fan 1] We love you!

-[fan 2] Gorgeous!

-[fan 1] Congratulations!

[indistinct shouts]

[music turns upbeat]

[in Spanish] I didn't change

I didn't change, I didn't change

[echoes] I didn't change

I didn't change, I didn't change

[interference crackles]

[woman 1, in English] There wasn't

a single wedding, party, social event

in the 2000s

where they didn't play "No Cambi."

But the fact that

it was a number-one song doesn't make it

or turn it into something glamorous.

But it does make it a popular phenomenon.

She released the single "No Cambi."

She became number one.

And the whole industry went crazy.

It was all very crazy.

The whole phenomenon.

[man 1] At the time of its release,

Radio Formula wouldn't play it.

Tamara's album is not on Spotify.

If "No Cambi" came out today,

Spotify would have definitely made it

a global hit.

[man 3] Tamara didn't have

a great voice, but...

[man 4] That was her charm, you know?

She said, "I know my voice is peculiar,

very thin, but an artist

is a combination of elements."

-And listen, Alaska, Madonna...

-[Agustn] Sure.

You can't say

they're singers with great voices.

[man 5] Tamara came out of

a very weird scene.

Not a weird underground scene,

but a weird TV scene.

[man 6] We're talking

about something surreal.

Very trashy, that, nonetheless,

took the mainstream by storm.

She may have surpassed Alejandro Sanz.

[man 7] On the surface, she didn't appear

to have the qualities of a star,

but she moved and sang

like nobody had before her.

[Boris] She appeared out of nowhere,

and she had that discourse

of belonging to the celebrity culture.

You know what they say! "Stars are stars."

An icon arrives like an icon.

[David] She seemed obsessed

with the idea of going on stage,

but when she did, it looked like

she was being held hostage.

[Mariola] And suddenly,

you've got these TV people saying,

"Hey, come on. Hey, you're funny."

"Okay, sing. Oh, let's get her on set."

It used to work really well.

It made them feel special.

I mean, "They do my makeup,

I'm in the spotlight. I'm important."

But that's a lie.

[Alfonso] We all used to laugh

because it was a ridiculous song.

[Paloma] She did develop a following

of people who didn't make fun of her.

[Mariola] No, I'm sorry,

but you use everything you know,

all your resources, to make her appealing.

To take that poor person

and make her believe she's a goddess.

-[dramatic music playing]

-[wild cheering, applause]

[Yurena] Wow.

More! More light!

Because I want to thank

each and every one of you.

Thank you for always, always,

always showing so much love,

for all your support,

for always being by my side.

[musical introduction

to "No Cambi" playing]

[crowd cheering]

[in Spanish] You're wrong

If you think I've changed

I'm still

The same girl from yesterday

[Agustn, in English] She wanted to be

Madonna, but she became Tamara-Yurena,

and I think she's absolutely iconic.

Along came Tamara with a discourse

that wasn't really a discourse.

It was a lifestyle.

"You think I won't be a star?

That I won't succeed? Wait for it."

[song continues]

[Juan] Something so artificial,

so innovative, so different,

from everything else...

She was completely convinced

of what she could offer artistically

and of her way of existing in the world.

[in Spanish] I didn't change,

I didn't change, I didn't change

[in English] To me, she's one of

the most important icons

to come out of Spain in the last 30 years.

[song continues distortedly]

-[song fades]

-[cheers, whistles fade]

[background murmur]

[intriguing music playing]

Either Spain's got issues,

or we need a hearing aid.

Well, you know what they say.

"When it rains, it pours."

[presenter] The unique Tamara

is a sensation.

Tamara enters the world of television,

celebrity gossip,

and that was wonderful as well.

[in Spanish] Tamara,

like a golden sphinx

[in English] She has a bit of that

esperpento vibe, totally Spanish.

And the audience really understood

the artistic proposal

of this group of characters

because it's related to esperpento,

Valle-Incln, and even Dadaism.

They're people you laugh with,

but you don't laugh at them,

because they're just very unique.

[Yurena] When I came to Madrid,

I was introduced to some people.

One of those people had the gift of gab.

He pretended he liked me,

that he was my friend.

-Who was he?

-It's hard for me to say his name.

But, fine. Paco Porras.

She's given me

the most wonderful thing in life. Love.

[David] How does Paco Porras

come into this?

If you wanted to be famous in the '90s,

you didn't have many options.

Now you can create an Instagram account

and hope for the best.

But at that time, you had to latch on

to someone who was already famous.

-[presenter] Paco Porras!

-[drumroll]

[audience cheering, clapping]

[tense music playing]

[Yurena] He was the one

that came up with the idea

that I pretend to be his girlfriend.

He threw a party at his house,

called a bunch of press agencies,

and did all the talking.

My girlfriend Tamara,

who I have more than

a romantic relationship with, and who is...

The first thing people knew about them

was they had some kind of relationship,

which was all a set-up.

He was the one who came out and said,

"Let me introduce my girlfriend."

For years, he's been telling everyone

that it was me who made that up.

No, ladies and gentlemen, no. No.

It was him.

-[dramatic sting]

-[door creaks ominously]

Ave Mara

Ave, Ave Mara

Thank you, Father.

Very kind of you, Juan. Thank you.

We're all delighted that you've come here,

to your home, to everyone's home.

Blessed wine of God. It's so delicious.

Who hasn't made mistakes?

No one's faultless.

[presenter] What was your mistake?

My mistake was when I introduced Tamara

as my girlfriend on my birthday.

To be honest,

I was never in love with her.

The strategy was,

"I'll latch on to this guy,

I become famous overnight,

I say I'm his girlfriend."

She had it all planned

to make my life impossible.

He told me,

"Since you're not very famous yet,

you are never gonna achieve your goal."

"People will lose interest at some point."

"You have to generate more buzz."

[Paco] Suddenly, you say you're pregnant?

What?

-[presenter] Are you?

-[Yurena] Of course.

-[presenter] And Paco got you pregnant?

-Paco Porras. Yes, sir.

Maybe, but I'm not the father.

You know that.

They even talked about a pregnancy.

Do you really think

they set that all up? Really?

-Paloma, come on, please.

-Well, that's what they say.

I mean, either way,

the set-ups were old news.

And she tried to make me believe

she was pregnant with my child.

Love is the foundation. And that's all.

It's above all else.

Well, it was a lie.

She was never pregnant with my child.

I'd have slept with a fireman

before sleeping with that woman.

[whimsical music playing]

Is this it? I don't know. There we go.

ANDALUSIA

[neighbor laughs] Oh, my goodness!

[Paco] My childhood

was nothing short of marvelous.

I grew up among dummies,

the show business, dressing rooms, props,

all the theatrical

and cinematographic paraphernalia

of my parents' world.

They were theater producers.

[discordant chords]

And my parents' dummies gave me life too.

I was another dummy in their suitcase.

In life, we're all dummies, really.

Puppets pulled by invisible strings...

[cosmic tinkle] ...in space.

Because we come from there, up there,

and we return there

when we become stardust.

[cosmic music continues]

[mimicking] I'm the mother of Mrs. Rosita,

and I want her to get married.

I'm Mrs. Rosita,

and I want to get married.

My daughter has

two little breasts like two oranges.

Oh, I'm getting so horny. So horny!

My daughter is very young.

She's only 20 years old

and you're an old man.

[regular voice] Today, we'll talk

with Mr. Francisco Porras,

a great parapsychologist and magician.

Good evening, Francisco, welcome.

Parapsychology today

can do so much for mental illness.

Porras was a seer. He'd tell the future

using fruits and vegetables.

Wait, what?

He'd get a turnip,

or a tomato, or watermelon

and he'd tell you the future.

Ana Obregn will break up

with her friend, the doctor.

We always do our best to support

all kinds of artistic expression.

It's not that I could actually see

the future in a turnip,

a tomato, a cucumber or carrot.

There've always been

clairvoyants, shamans,

people with certain parapsychic skills,

and they could all...

could see things in plants and vegetation.

[presenter] A prediction.

The great news is that Queen Letizia

will also have a son a year and a half

later and then she'll have no more kids.

[panelist] I do believe that.

[intriguing music playing]

[Paco] Clairvoyance is not a profession.

Clairvoyance is a gift

that God gives and takes away.

My interest

in the scientific-esoteric world,

the ancient metapsychics,

maybe comes from the same interest

I have for dummies.

It runs in my family.

Noises, buzzing or, um...

[sniffs] ...strange voices from beyond...

It's mistaken for paranoid schizophrenia,

and they think it's a mental illness.

It's not an illness.

It's a type of perception

that comes from within your soul.

Which of these is a turnip?

-This is a turnip?

-Yes. This is Ricardo Bofill's turnip.

None of this would have ever been possible

if Crnicas hadn't been involved.

[TV jingle playing]

[Boris] Crnicas Marcianas

was this late-night show.

Javier Sard, at some point,

defined it as a "shared celebration."

The concept was that you could see

what was happening on Earth from Mars.

So they'd be analyzing

what was happening on Earth,

but mostly what was happening in Spain.

Beln Esteban.

The first, the greatest, Tamara!

[Boris] We were proposing a discourse

in which people

who were on the fringes of the system,

who had been rejected by that system,

could grab the limelight,

shine and triumph.

[in Spanish] I didn't change

I didn't change...

[Boris, in English] It's a fact.

The show attracted a bigger

and wider audience. We have to admit that.

So Crnicas Marcianas sees

what a goldmine they have

and starts bringing them on set.

[Boris] That show went on

to create its own universe.

And to an extent, that universe became

this kind of national treasure.

[Juan] Loads of people watched it...

Teenagers.

We'd stay up until 2:00 a.m.

to watch Crnicas.

My parents told me

that back then, when I was really young,

they'd put me to bed

so they could watch Crnicas.

I remember watching it at home

and my jaw dropped.

"Oh, man, I used to stay up

watching Crnicas Marcianas!"

I hear that every day.

Every day of my life.

-She still loves me!

-[panelist 1] Calm down.

-[panelist 2] She loves you?

-She still loves me!

[Nacho] But I'd like to know if

that story was made explicit on Crnicas.

"You say that you're pregnant,

but we all know, deep down,

that you're not pregnant

with Paco Porras's child."

Was it made explicit that it was a lie?

Or did you make it ambiguous?

If you mean that it was all a set-up,

that it was scripted? No, not at all.

It would've been impossible

to write that script.

[melancholic music playing]

Let's go.

This next song of ours

invites us to kiss each other,

to love each other, to love each other

more than we already do.

At this time of certain unhappiness,

it's beautiful to kiss, to love, to feel.

[in Spanish] Kiss me

MUSICAL DUO AND ARTISTIC PARTNERS

Kiss me passionately

[Yurena, in English] The one

who wanted success,

who wanted to get all the calls, was him.

He wasn't getting any attention

because all the attention was on me.

I have done nothing but help this woman!

-What fruit would you give Tamara?

-A turnip for Tamara.

[Yurena] The only reason I agreed

to do something against my will,

was to get my music heard.

You're pleased with

what your daughter's achieving?

What can she achieve with this?

[Yurena] I was the one

who actually achieved success, you know?

And he disappeared.

To lose you again

[song ends]

[Luca, in English] How did Margarita

take it all?

My mother was against it,

completely against it, just like I was.

People love you so much.

The media too. They're extraordinary.

Extraordinary people.

So don't pay any attention

to a few dumbasses.

[emotive music playing]

[Javier] Margarita and Tamara!

-[muffled applause]

-[Javier] "No Cambi."

[Paloma] Tamara had her mother

with her at all times.

[Juan] Her mother believes

in her future as a singer so much

that she comes to Madrid with her.

[Mario] She decides to go

to Madrid with Tamara

so that she can help her achieve her goal,

which is to be famous.

[Clara] It's true that she would sleep

in a double bed with her mother.

I think Tamara alone built her character,

and her mother, watching on,

knew that her daughter

maybe didn't have many friends,

that she was a different child.

Now that everyone's watching,

I'd like to take this opportunity

to thank her

for all that she's done for me.

Oh, that's lovely.

And I want her to know

that this is all thanks to her.

Otherwise, I wouldn't be here.

Good morning, Mommy.

[kiss]

[Yurena] My mother didn't want

to be cremated.

She wanted to be buried

where her father's buried, my grandfather,

at the family grave

in Villarino, her village.

But I didn't fulfil her wishes.

Selfishly, I decided to cremate her.

It's all I have left of her.

And keeping her close helps ease

that feeling of emptiness inside me.

[melancholic piano notes playing]

[Luca] In our last session, you talked

about the bond you and Margarita had.

You talked about

how dependent the relationship was,

about the consequences

of her now passing on.

And I found it to be very interesting,

this topic of loneliness, right?

So, today, I wanted to ask

how lonely do you feel?

At school, and outside of school,

they'd insult me.

-"Fatty," "Cow," "Whale"...

-[Luca] Hmm.

[Yurena] I was still a child!

I was seven, eight, nine, ten years old.

My mother would often come

to see me at recess.

She'd visit with me through the fence,

at the gate.

And I remember some of the girls,

they used to make fun of that.

I'm looking at the camera.

You can tell I already liked to do that!

You could already tell, huh?

That I liked being photographed.

When I was 14, I got fatter.

I had a lot of acne.

I had everything

to be the target of cruel girls and boys.

That's why I never wanted

to get out of the house.

So I wouldn't get bullied.

And I'd take refuge in music.

I had giant posters in my room

of Europe, Modern Talking,

Culture Club, Backstreet Boys...

-[Luca] Right.

-[Yurena] Music was my life.

I didn't have any female or male friends.

And then my mother, poor thing, told me,

"Well, let's find a solution."

[whirring]

[Yurena] They put me

on a super strict diet.

But I didn't care,

'cause I only wanted to be thin

so that my classmates

would stop laughing at me.

Now I was skinny,

I wasn't wearing glasses,

I started wearing makeup,

and I started dressing differently...

What I couldn't improve

was my breasts.

I was pretty much flat.

My first breast surgery,

enlargement, was when I was 16.

Wow, why?

I was embarrassed.

So embarrassed.

[melancholic music continues]

[Yurena] I wasn't scared at all.

I was practically singing

to the operating room.

I remember actually telling my mother,

"If something happens to me

in the operating room, I don't care."

[Luca] So there's something there

about stereotypes,

about what's expected of a woman

that really left a mark on you.

[Yurena] I think

I was carrying those insecurities

from what I'd suffered as a kid,

and from what

I was suffering in the media.

[panelist 1] Tamara, let me ask you.

Haven't you ever thought

about getting corrective surgery?

-[panelist 2] That woman? Amazing body.

-[panelist 1] Her nose is a bit...

-I mean, if she had it done...

-What's her nose got to do...?

[Yurena] That got stuck in my head,

until I got it done.

Nose, and lips, and on the body,

the breast augmentation.

We may seem beautiful to some,

but not to others.

But I don't know.

Does that make you a weirdo?

[discordant piano chord plays]

-[intriguing music playing]

-[dial tone]

-[man on phone] Hello, Loly.

-Hello, Jos. Doc, how are you?

[Jos] Well, I'm here at the office.

I want to get that treatment done.

The one that exfoliates your face

and leaves it like a baby's bottom?

[Jos] Yeah, it's a great treatment.

And, more importantly, it looks natural.

Of course.

That's what I want. To look natural.

And to make matters worse,

that clown had the audacity

to plagiarize my voice.

She used my voice

for her first TV appearances, you know?

Loly lvarez's former stage name

was Jennifer Taylor.

She wanted to become

internationally renowned,

so she burst into Teresa Campos's show

live saying,

"I'm the real voice of 'No Cambi.'

Tamara stole my voice."

[Yurena] I had no idea

who she was, this person.

I was at home one day,

watching TV in the afternoon-evening,

and she starts talking about me,

spewing pure venom against me.

And I was shocked,

because I had never

seen her before in my life.

They're lying!

This girl's a complete impostor!

I'm gonna hit you so hard...

[chuckling]

...that I'm gonna make

your head spin, honey.

[Loly] Oh, you're giving me so much energy

that I'm gonna do

a bachata remix of "No Cambi."

-[masseuse] I haven't heard of it.

-You don't know that song?

[in Spanish] I didn't change,

I didn't change, I didn't change

[masseuse, in English] I'm from Venezuela,

so I really have no idea.

I thought you were from Crdoba.

Can you believe it?

I became known for causing a stir.

When I'm in front of the camera,

I give it my all.

We were doing a television show,

fighting like school kids over a song.

I'm not going to lie. It was a blast.

I have never laughed so hard

or made so much money in my life.

[playful intriguing music playing]

I was born in a very small village

on the tropical coast of Granada

called Gualchos.

I'm the youngest of the family,

and I was the rebel.

So at 18, I decided

that if I wanted to be an artist,

I had to go to Madrid.

Madrid was the center of the universe.

One day, at one of my shows,

I met Leonardo Dants,

who wrote "No Cambi."

We were a duo called Luna Azul.

["No Cambi" by Luna Azul playing]

[Loly] Then one day,

Leonardo came with his guitar.

He said, "I have a song nobody wants,

and I don't know why."

[in Spanish] I didn't change

I didn't change, I didn't change

[Loly, in English] I said, "Leo, this is

what we need, something catchy,

because you sing like a down-and-out poet,

and I'm not exactly Pavarotti either."

-[song continues]

-[camera clicks]

[Loly] So we kept on performing,

but he was very fussy.

So I said, "I've had enough."

"You go your way,

I'll go mine, and that's that."

So one night, I was at home,

and a friend called me and said,

"Hey, Loly, they're playing your song."

I said, "That's my song."

"No Cambi" is like one of my children.

That song is Leonardo Dants'.

It's not hers, it's not mine,

it's not the neighbor's across the street.

Whether you like it or not,

my voice is easily identifiable.

The media, of course,

added fuel to the fire.

They started calling her to appear

on all the different television shows.

-[audience cheering, whistling]

-[mysterious music playing]

[Loly] I have to say

that I personally am grateful

for the media, for the press,

each and every day,

because without the press,

we'd be nothing.

-[woman] Let's warm up the legs a bit.

-[Loly] Don't be too hard on me today.

Bend it.

[Loly] Back then, everything was allowed.

It didn't matter. They could say anything.

[woman] With your right. In the middle.

[Loly] They started calling us weirdos.

I don't know who came up with that.

[woman] There. Stop.

[Loly] But that's not an insult.

It just means you're different.

-Take it seriously or that's it.

-All right.

If you hit me, I'll end up injured.

-I'll take this.

-Should I...? Thank you, darling.

You're welcome, darling.

I've always let people think

that I like men, and I...

I was a bit scared,

you know, of them saying,

"Wow, she's not just a weirdo,

she's a l*sbian too."

I never thought

the love of my life would be a woman.

Her name is Belinda.

She's an amazing woman,

and she's a police officer.

LOLY'S PARTNER

-All right, come on. Ready?

-[Loly] I'll do it like Julia Roberts.

[Belinda] Do the pose.

Do the pose like that.

And the caption?

"Live life. You only live once."

That's the most important thing.

I wanted to be perfect

for the camera, for the stage...

If I saw a cosmetic operating room,

I'd jump in as if it were a swimming pool.

And I started having

surgery after surgery after surgery...

I've had liposuction,

I've had my eyes done, my neck, my ears...

I don't think there's anything

in the market I haven't had done.

There was this one time

on Crnicas Marcianas

when, incredibly, Loly lvarez appeared

on the set, all bandaged up,

after having had surgery from head-to-toe.

We give you...

Loly lvarez.

["Overture to the Marriage of Figaro"

by Mozart playing]

[audience applause]

They told me, "We're going to wrap you up

on the cart." One of those beer keg carts.

And I'm like, "If I fall off,

I'll k*ll myself right here."

"Never mind the stitches!"

-[music continues]

-[crowd chanting] Loly!

I think that got a 45 or 47 in the ratings

for that particular time slot.

-I needed a redo. I wasn't happy.

-[panelist] First thing was your breasts.

Yes, or "t*ts," in laymen's terms.

So they start pulling off bandages,

Boris and the rest,

and she's spinning like Gwyneth Paltrow

in Shakespeare in Love.

[music cl*max]

Finally, they got to her face.

She said, "I went in

with a picture of Julia Roberts."

[Boris] Do this carefully.

She paid a lot of money for the surgery.

Let's not ruin it now!

I mean, she was Julia Roberts.

Sure, it was like...

I suddenly thought, "Wow, so pretty."

The best promotional campaign

for cosmetic surgery in history.

[music intensifies, flourishes]

[audience ovation]

There's a kind of genius

that can't be defined,

but I prefer to see it

as them being great professionals.

All of us. We fed off each other.

We completely changed

the way television was made.

And we made a show like no other

that has gone down in history.

The very famous Cibeles fountain accident.

Those stories were made up

and agreed by all of them.

Loly lvarez and the so-called Arlekin

went out partying in Madrid.

They decided to celebrate

at the Cibeles fountain.

[Loly] I hadn't known Arlekin for long.

He always gave me the creeps a little bit.

He was a weird guy.

I saw him drive up in a rental.

It started because

someone was catcalling Loly

from another car. "Hottie," and all that.

And as we're heading towards Cibeles,

I see the traffic lights turn red,

but the guy's speeding up.

["Overture to Marriage of Figaro"

continues]

I have no idea how you get a car

in the Cibeles fountain.

We've always suspected

a crane was involved.

[Loly] It was a serious accident

and I couldn't believe it.

I mean, imagine what that guy

would do for a minute of glory.

I mean, one of us could've ended up

in a wheelchair.

And the one recording everything

was Arlekin's friend.

In my opinion,

he crashed the car on purpose.

I'd just had breast surgery

and I had to get surgery again

because everything moved.

Thank God, I was wearing the seatbelt

or I would have come

flying out the window.

Don't trust men! Not one of them.

Duly noted. [chuckles]

[music ends with flourish]

[interference crackling]

[reporter on radio] Have you ever wondered

how difficult it is

to get a break in the music world?

-[nostalgic music playing]

-[reporter] Her name is Tamara.

So far, her achievements

are several performances

and the recording of her first album.

Its title will be A Por Ti.

[Yurena] My parents spent a fortune,

not just for the first album,

which they paid for entirely,

but for all the trips back and forth

to Madrid over the years.

Nana!

[reporter] Always with

her mother's unconditional support,

she began a career in singing,

dance and phoniatrics.

Shall we give her a listen?

This song, "A Por Ti,"

was the title track of my first album...

-[drag] Right. Yeah.

-...back in 1993.

The cover was amazing, btw.

Recording that album

was very important for me.

It was the real beginning

of accomplishing my big dream of

performing my own songs.

[in Spanish] I look in the mirror

I smile as I think

About stepping out

Ready to make you fall for me

"A POR TI" SINGLE COVER

A little more mascara

Brilliant colors

Tonight I'll feel

You melting for me

A woman's weapons

To drive you wild

Heels

Black stockings and no underwear

Tonight I'm stepping out

Coming for you

[in English] Tamara believed that

all that fame would launch her music.

In some way, she wasn't wrong.

To get you

[Alfonso] You'd go out on Calle Valverde

with her and everyone was, "Tamara!"

And they'd shout, "A photo!"

[Clara] Everyone on Gran Via

chanting, "Tamara!"

The workers at McDonald's.

The taxi driver would get out of the taxi,

"Tamara!" I mean, like a musical.

[song continues]

To be a star,

you don't need to have a career.

A star... is born.

[in Spanish] Tonight I'm stepping out

[Boris, in English] Being a celebrity

validates you, spreads your message.

Tamara achieved all that.

[song continues]

And she loved it.

She loved to stop, and strike a pose.

And she always posed

like a diva, like this.

[in Spanish] Coming for you

[Yurena, in English]

In the celeb gossip shows,

they make a caricature of you.

I was like, "Swish, swish.

Oof, I'm addicted to hair spray."

Why did I say that?

[presenter] Tamara, the hairspray queen,

has captivated half the country...

[Yurena] I've never tried

to copy others on how I do my hair.

Or how I dress. Or how I do my makeup.

I've never been a clone.

[Mario] She was very subversive

in the Spanish music industry,

and in this country's society.

She was loved by this kind of "Noah's Ark"

as I like to call it.

This community of protected outcasts.

[in Spanish] See-through shirt

Danger in the air

[Diana, in English] She was a voice

of those who had no voice.

The outcasts, the weirdos.

All to do with everything q*eer

and everything after.

[Licorka] Now that the extreme right

and fascism are on the rise...

[Boris] When you become a symbol,

you attract the attention of a huge number

of people who identify with you.

I think that's why Tamarismo

was so successful.

We never know who's on

the other side of the screen watching us,

and who we can influence.

And I think

Yurena has really done a lot for us.

Maybe you're not aware

of how many you've helped,

just by being the way you are.

On the other side of the screen,

we were celebrating you.

[presenter] Taking a closer look

at the queens of the g*y Pride parade

held this weekend in Madrid.

Parading on Shangay magazine's float,

the hairspray queen, Tamara,

waved and blew kisses to all her fans.

And by her side was her mother,

Margarita Seisdedos,

who was left speechless

by the festive atmosphere.

Hey, let's play Tamara's song now.

[Agustn] The community supported her,

became her ally,

defended her to the death,

which is what we've done

with so many divas over the decades.

Once that bond with the star is created,

she's in our blood.

She's like another mother.

-[gentle upbeat music playing]

-[bustle]

[drag] How are you, love?

Hello!

[Yurena] How are you?!

Oh...

Come here, Yuri.

-Juani!

-I'm so happy...

-Oh, darling.

-...that things are going well for you.

You deserve it!

A f*cking legend. A superhero, and more.

[Yurena coos]

I'm always excited to come here

because I know I'm gonna see you.

I hope we see each other many more times.

[excited clamor]

[Yurena] Celebrating in style,

for rights, for diversity,

and to fight for

what we're all entitled to.

By right. Long live Pride!

[music intensifies]

[Yurena] I've always been,

and will always be eternally grateful

to the LGBTQI+ community

for their love and support.

Maybe they identified with me

because of how I was treated,

because I didn't conform

to the established norms.

And I'm really happy because...

Let me tell you something.

They're a wonderful audience.

[exuberant cheering]

[Alfonso] She's an icon

who couldn't go any further

because of all those circumstances

surrounding her and...

because of the people she hung out with.

[photographer] Perfect!

[presenter] We have to talk

about trashy g*ng,

which is made up of Paco Porras, Tamara,

and Team Wig,

Tony Genil and Leonardo Dants.

...so that Tamara could be

where she is now, along with Leonardo.

Tamara goes from

one television set to another,

and to weirder and weirder scenes.

She was simply seeking fame in some way.

I mean, it wasn't just

on Crnicas, it got...

No, no, no. It got everywhere.

This thing started to grow

and started becoming that phenomenon.

Tamarismo.

The Tamarismo movement

has gained such momentum

that the year 2000 will be declared

the "Year of Tamaria."

[Alfonso] A movement outside the system

and completely anarchic

that is being celebrated

during prime time.

For me, Tamara was the body,

the embodiment of an "-ismo."

Tamarismo and all the people

that made up Tamarismo

would have been less memorable

had this phenomenon repeated itself.

This is a sociological phenomenon, which,

as I've been told by some experts,

is something that happens every 60 years.

From that crew,

Tony Genil was the first person I met.

He came up with the idea

of calling the press

and putting on a show

for the inauguration of the fruit store.

[cheering]

[reporter] Honestly, we're shocked.

No, we're not shocked.

We're in my neighborhood.

[Juan] They inaugurated

a fruit store in Vallecas.

They were doing a photocall,

as if they were at Gabana nightclub.

But they were in a store in Vallecas.

Not only does it have

that traditional Warholian-world vibe,

but it's in Madrid, behind Gran Va,

and all happening

right where they actually lived.

Of course. Well, Tony mentioned coming

and opening, as he said, the fruit shop.

Good afternoon.

[Tony] Hello. How are you?

-How can I help you?

-[Tony] These are good.

Sure. These are singles, right?

-They're singles.

-Singles. Wow, look.

Look, cassettes. Hah!

That's funny.

There's still cassettes here.

Oh, this song is very beautiful.

"Soy de Espaa."

Beautiful song.

[man] Explain the fruit shop thing.

Well, I always came up with

many new things for television.

For daytime. Original things.

And I thought,

"Wow, a fruit store opening

and a famous artist too."

"That'll grab the headlines."

-Did you do it for the shop? Or yourself?

-For myself!

[man] Oh, good.

I don't run an NGO.

Everything I do, I do it for a reason.

And because I know

people get bored at home.

I mean, in truth,

they have sold lots of fruit since then.

[playful music playing]

[Tony] The guy across the street

from my house had been on vacation,

and I was like, "Why don't we have

an official inauguration

of the fall-winter season

at the fruit shop?"

They're selling it for 1.80 here.

And it was a smash hit.

My god, life repeats itself.

-[man] You remember? We put on a show.

-[Tony] The most viral video ever!

-It was crazy.

-It still is everywhere, isn't it?

-[man laughs]

-Now it's on TikTok.

[reporter] Don't you feel embarrassed

when people on TV laugh at you?

They're trying to paint a picture of me

that's completely wrong,

like I'm some kind of clown.

[reporter] You haven't given us a concert.

I've been around for ten years.

I wish they'd let me prove it

so they can finally stop teasing me.

I've got a record.

Otherwise, how would you make a living?

[Yurena] The media started saying things

that were completely untrue

about my career.

About my past.

And I didn't sign up for that.

Tony. He forced me into it.

Let's toast. I have a glass here.

Let's toast to all this.

Modesty aside, we're three great artists

and we're going to prove it to...

On television, speaking well doesn't sell.

I was a very unruly kid

and I made up so many things to get ahead

in the artistic world

and to attract attention.

We'd create this...

confrontational atmosphere

between the artists.

And that's what worked on television.

All this? Look, it's here.

Oh...

Oh boy, what's this?

What could it be? Look.

-Oh, and the new one is here too. Look.

-With the same hairstyle.

I was already famous when I did that.

I've been in this business for 65 years.

Five more than Raphael.

["Espaa, Cunto Te Quiero"

by Tony Genil playing]

Look at that mane!

[in Spanish] With my guitar

And my hat

I travel the world singing in Spanish

[Tony, in English] I was born in a village

in Crdoba called Puente Genil.

That's where my stage name comes from.

I was meant to release

"Espaa, Cunto Te Quiero" in 1975.

[in Spanish]

I see people who left Spain

[mouths] For other countries

to sow seeds

[Tony, in English] Suddenly,

General Franco hears it.

So it doesn't get released.

It was subversive.

I've always been a guy ahead of his time.

And that's the g*y pride flag,

so that people get used to the fact

that this is normal.

The g*y world, which is wonderful,

was something I invented in Madrid

in the time of Franco.

[song continues]

"Espaa, Cunto Te Quiero" was a hit.

And look, I was able to get through it.

And I became famous.

-They made me number one.

-[song ends]

[bustle]

-Good morning.

-Hello. Good morning.

-[woman] How are you?

-Good.

I'll have some pasta.

-[woman] One pack of pasta.

-Yeah.

And some tomato sauce.

Okay, just the pasta. You got it.

[intriguing music playing]

[Tony] The writer of

"Espaa, Cunto Te Quiero"

was Joaqun Luqui.

He called the shots at Radio Madrid.

He was the one writing number-one songs.

Alright, let's stir-fry it.

Joaqun Luqui says to me,

"Tony, some kids

called the Jackson 5 are here."

"They're coming to my house."

I cooked pasta with tomato sauce

'cause that was all I had.

[presenter] He's the artist's friend,

the mastermind

behind the success of so many others.

He's Tony Genil.

And his friendships know no bounds.

Michael Jackson ate pasta in my house,

cooked by me, Tony Genil.

Luqui invited his friends

to other people's houses

to save money, that b*stard.

So I cooked pasta for everyone.

I have the plate. I have the fork.

I have the glass he drank water from.

This is the actual fork Michael Jackson

used to eat this pasta here.

And this is the actual plate.

Look how chipped it is and everything.

From back then.

Surreal.

No one would have believed it.

Even if they had drunk

three whole bottles of rum.

FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS OF TONY GENIL

[Tony] I believe the kid was about 14.

He took a shower

at my house and I could see

he was all black and white here.

Just like a cow.

He was kind of tall and thin.

He had a good body.

They're not overcooked?

-They're al dente.

-Al dente.

I was on my way to Gran Va

and a man with a blond toupee,

quite old, came up and said,

"Please, sir, Cinema 2000."

And I said, "You, Charlton Heston?"

All right, look.

I've got a surprise.

I have some glasses

that Charlton Heston gave me.

-These are Ray-Ban. They are...

-[Miguel] American.

-...American, gold-plated.

-They're lovely.

And these are Rita Hayworth's.

-Try them on. You'll see.

-I'll try them on.

[presenter] After this, it's no surprise

that people are demanding his presence

in the recording of "No Cambi."

[Paloma] And what happens...

The viewer starts believing

that anyone can be famous.

And you know,

that those 15 minutes of fame,

that Warhol promised,

could become a reality.

People who were unconventional

and not from a respectable family...

It's a new type of celebrity

who has no career, you know?

Tell me what you said behind my back!

[Juan] They're celebrities

whose talent is to generate TV content.

Yes, I love playing around.

[Boris] When outcasts get together

and stand their ground,

it's really interesting.

I felt like I was watching a soap opera.

Loly says, "We've never made

as much money as we have with you."

I'd get it from here,

I'd get it from there,

I'd get it from here,

I'd get it from anywhere.

[in Spanish] I didn't change

I didn't change, I didn't change

[Tony, in English] Loly lvarez says,

"Look, what do you think?"

"Leonardo thinks we should sing

'No Cambi' together."

[song fades]

[Tony] We recorded four albums.

And Tamara's one single.

Then we made a fortune.

Thanks to Tamara.

We rose to the top...

and she fell to the bottom.

-[music stops]

-[castanets clicking]

[gulls cry]

SANTURZI, BASQUE COUNTRY

YURENA'S HOMETOWN

[Yurena] Santurzi... Yeah, I grew up here,

but I don't have anyone here anymore.

I used to take singing lessons

from a teacher

who lived right in this area. Yeah.

Actually, the rest of my uncles and aunts

have all passed away.

-Look.

-[man] Daisies.

So many daisies!

[Juan S.] I'm telling you this is a sign.

Look, there's a bunch here.

-Go on. Push.

-[Yurena] It's stuck.

YURENA'S CHILDHOOD HOME

[Yurena] Well, I've made the decision

to honor my mother's wishes.

-This door gets stuck.

-[emotive music playing]

[Yurena] I'll be taking her remains

to Villarino de los Aires,

along with the remains of my grandfather,

her father, Sebastin.

Whee!

I was learning. I started...

I mean, I started learning.

-The cassettes are there...

-Look at this!

This has been challenging. You know,

I wasn't emotionally ready to set out

on a search for

my grandfather's resting place.

It's something I've been unable to do

for five years.

Hello, Jos.

Well, I seem to be struggling

to pinpoint the exact location of...

my grandfather's grave

with 100% certainty.

[Jos, on phone] You know

what the problem is? No records were kept.

That's the problem.

Have you asked the city council?

[woman] Let's see who's here.

-Teresa Seisdedos Martn.

-[Yurena] I don't know her.

[woman] Juan Seisdedos Hernndez.

My grandfather's brother.

He must've passed in the '40s.

[woman] Listen, the cemetery was

a bit of a mess.

And after so many years,

it's been computerized.

That's why it's so difficult.

[emotive music continues]

[Yurena] Unfortunately, they told me

there were no records.

I'm gonna keep searching on my own,

because I want to honor her wishes,

no matter how difficult it is.

Not even for me, but for my mother.

For how hard she fought for me.

-A kiss.

-[Yurena] Don't get it on me.

For never leaving my side,

for defending me.

For all that she suffered.

I feel I owe that to her.

I'm going to get all of you.

-[man] Hello, how are you?

-Hello!

-[man] What's up?

-[Yurena] I'm so happy to see you.

-Again.

-[Yurena] Again! Let's hope it's often.

-She's Basque, isn't she? Like me.

-Are you Basque too?

-I was born in Barakaldo.

-Barakaldo?

[in Spanish] You're gonna be my man

-[cheers, whistles]

-[indistinct]

["T Vas a Ser Mi Hombre"

by Tamara playing]

I'm lost in the night with no regrets

[in English] She's a superstar.

Which was the name of her first album.

Alfon. Superestar, a masterpiece.

[song continues]

[Mario] The modern world went crazy.

She brought together

the cream of the crop of Spanish pop.

Carlos Berlanga wrote songs for her.

And Luis Migulez as well.

[Luis] Various figures from

Madrid's underground scene were involved.

I would categorize it as more of an

alternative underground style than glam.

[song continues]

[Clara] That album was amazing.

So is Migulez,

the producer of that album.

It was incredibly produced.

It's a great album

that hasn't aged badly at all.

[Agustn] It's taken her 20 years

to realize what this album means

for many people.

I think it's a shame

she wasn't aware of what she was doing,

of the album she was releasing,

of the songs she was recording,

of the talent that was supporting her.

It couldn't have been easy

to take in everything that was happening.

I have to speak out in favor of Tamara,

and I always will, because at that time,

the music industry was not happy

and didn't want an artist

like Tamara succeeding.

That music industry, that cultural scene...

-It was...

-They viewed her as "trashy."

[Luis] Show business often divides people,

as you're either too punky

or too weird for their vibe.

[Mario] And that's how

I truly understood Tamara's anger

and why she called them,

"Sons of b*tches. Why not?"

[song continues]

[music stops abruptly]

[fan] Gorgeous!

[Yurena] This song hasn't finished.

What happened to the song?

I can't perform like this.

The songs are wrong, the sound isn't good.

I'm sorry.

That's just typical.

I couldn't even have planned that.

This isn't something you'd see on live TV.

This is a massive screw-up!

[man] But you didn't send us the songs.

I had to download them from the Internet.

No, listen. You didn't ask for the songs.

-[man] I asked Ismael.

-Tell Ismael to come.

-I downloaded them.

-[Ismael] We confirmed...

I mean, you should have sent them to me.

[Yurena] Someone should have checked

the songs!

[man] ...with a pen drive

at 11:30 p.m. to do it.

Tamara. Sorry, Yurena,

I'm getting nervous now.

-That was utterly mortifying.

-[man] No, come on.

-Seriously, that's never happened to me.

-[Juan S.] I know, I can understand.

-That was embarrassing.

-Never.

I mean, what's going on?

Okay, one moment.

-What the hell?

-What's going on?

-Sorry, this is disrespectful.

-This is f*cking bullshit!

This is f*cking bull...

[Mariola] No executive sitting

on the other side of the table

believed that Tamara had the potential

for a long and successful musical career.

-No one. Not a single person.

-No, no, no.

Not even Crnicas Marcianas,

or anyone that had her in their sights.

[audience uproar]

Tamara!

I'm sorry, but I'm not here

for them to ruin my career.

We're here to tell you what we...

[Juan] Crnicas Marcianas was

a thrilling show

because anything could happen.

To make this possible, they had to push

the boundaries of each episode.

In the pursuit of spectacle,

everything goes.

Some episodes would really

give you goosebumps.

I remember getting goosebumps.

...bringing us new information.

Serious information,

because we're going to talk about Tamara.

She wants a career in film.

To achieve that, she had an audition.

Crnicas Marcianas broadcast a video

where she appeared completely naked.

Seriously?

[Juan] Yeah, Arlekin,

who was Paco Porras's manager,

had her audition for a movie.

I mean, it was clearly all a setup,

and now my lawyers are handling it.

-[David] Wasn't it censored?

-No. You can see it all.

You see everything.

That piece of trash, Miguel de Diego...

Arlekin.

And now the tape has surfaced,

making it seem

like I'm the villain in this story.

[Yurena] He was never my manager.

But I know for a fact

that he claimed to have been my manager.

He's the most harmful,

and deceitful conman I've ever known.

He doesn't have a soul.

[mysterious music playing]

Guesemen, aliquisomauey, choo-choo.

[guitar strumming]

[Arlekin] Hello!

Hello.

-Can I come in?

-Come in, come in.

[Arlekin] I was an artistic manager.

Back then, they'd call me and say,

"We're having a party and we want

Tony Genil, Leonardo Dants to come."

I had an office.

Many people showed up there,

including Tamara and her mother.

And I was like, "Hey, Tamara,

it's all the rage for guys and girls

to do a striptease."

Poom, poom...

You dance. Then you do this...

Poom, poom, poom...

Then you do this.

You take off your bra here.

-[disturbing music playing]

-Bam. And you do this.

-"Bye." And you leave.

-[clock ticking]

"Tamara, listen,

there's this major project,

and obviously,

I immediately thought of you."

He said, "They're sh**ting a movie,

and they're doing auditions,"

and it had to be recorded

for the director to watch it.

[TV interference]

[panelist 1] Tamara's with the blindfold.

-The guy in front is Arlekin.

-[panelist 2] Enjoying it, isn't she?

I mean, come on.

That kind of television

took advantage of many people

who were unable to see

what was being done to them,

or understand what was being done to them.

[reporter] But you let them

do that to you, didn't you?

[presenter] There's a certain amount

of interest in getting to know

Tamara's more intimate side.

[panelist] Erotic side.

But such a clear image of her naked?

And they didn't care?

[Juan] With that mentality,

the fact they showed a video

of Tamara naked wasn't seen as scandalous.

It was... comical.

[presenter] Tamara is sad.

The latest revelations about her

have left her feeling dejected.

They finish recording,

they turn off the camera,

and they both start groping me.

First Arlekin, and then...

And then she also said she'd been

groped by the two men after the audition.

f*ck.

Back then, nobody considered that

to be sexual as*ault.

-Humor is one thing...

-Hmm.

Committing a crime

like that is... something else.

I just ran out of there.

And my mother, poor thing,

was walking along the sidewalk, waiting.

I was completely devastated.

Like I was living a damn nightmare.

Well, that was a very a*usive atmosphere.

And they sold the video

to Crnicas Marcianas

for a lot of money.

-[eerie music playing]

-[audience cheering]

All right.

Why have you repeatedly tried

to screw Tamara over?

[eerie music continues]

SALA CHA3

EVENT VENUE IN MADRID

[receptionist singing]

[Arlekin] Ah, you're a singer too?

Good evening.

[Arlekin] I like it. Carry on.

What a beautiful hall.

I think I've been here before.

[feet tapping] Hey! Guesemen.

Hey! Guesemen.

Hey!

Great, there's an echo.

There is, there is.

In the 17th century,

there was a king who had five servants,

Cassandra, Leandro,

Pierrot, Colombina, and Harlequin.

My kids are called Colombina,

Leandro, and Arlekin.

I'm missing Cassandra and Pierrot.

But I've thrown in the towel.

[playful music playing]

I juggle and...

Out of a handkerchief,

swish, swish, I pull out a cane.

Hey! Guesemen.

[puffs] Then I say to the kids,

"Guesemen. Aliquisomauey. Choo!"

Chish!

So I created an advertisment

saying "Guesemen Shows."

Guesemen is a word I came up with.

Like when you say, "That's nonsense."

It's pronounced,

"Gue-se-men."

Oh.

Guesemen.

Guesemen, aliquisomauey.

Tomato, cucumber. Hey!

-Ah!

-[music stops]

[soft thuds, inhales]

[intriguing music builds slowly]

-[Arlekin] Hey, boss!

-[man] Yes?

A little bit of JB,

just two fingers, like this.

With Coca-Cola, because I always sing.

[warbles, chuckles]

I'm hoarse now. [warbles, clears throat]

Life is wonderful.

The problem is that there are people who...

who ruin everything, you know?

When Tamara came from Bilbao,

she came to my office.

I introduced her to the artistic world.

We've been good friends, and good lovers.

There's nothing more to say.

Shortly after... I'm not sure

if it was weeks, or if it was two months...

But after. I had to appear

on a television program.

We came out of the building,

and there he was.

[sniffs] Miguel de Diego.

He was dressed as he always used to dress.

As a harlequin.

And that's the infamous incident...

when my mother took her bag...

and hit him with it.

[disturbing music playing]

f*ck you, you b*stard!

Mom, leave it. You son of a b*tch.

Get out of here!

-[Margarita] You son of a b*tch!

-Go away! I want nothing to do with you!

-[Margarita] b*stard!

-[Yurena] Stop!

And I wonder...

would any mother,

in light of what I've just told you,

have been able to restrain herself?

She should have k*lled you.

There's a camera. Watch out.

-[Yurena] Don't come near me!

-No, ma'am!

-[Yurena] Mom!

-[David] It was said she carried a brick.

-That's an urban legend.

-Sure, I guess she didn't carry a brick.

I would've carried a brick, honestly,

because you can't hit hard with a bag,

but you can if you have a brick inside it.

Let's hear it for Arlekin.

[guitar strumming]

[in Spanish] I brought you flowers

Then I saw your mother

And I nearly peed myself

She was carrying a brick in her bag

[panelist, in English] She carried

more than a wallet.

-They say I carry something... in my...

-[presenter laughs] A brick!

So you can all see

there is indeed no brick in here!

Tamara

If she'd had a brick in there,

would she have been able to lift her bag?

What kind of people believe these lies?

[in Spanish] You're wicked

[in English] They humiliated her.

They laughed at her.

"Uh-oh. It's the brick woman."

I've never seen anything like that happen,

what they did to us,

to anyone in this country.

[in Spanish] You're just wicked

-[guitar flourish]

-[scattered applause]

[traffic bustle]

[Tamara, in English] They're asking

for the judge to take away

my right to use the name.

That's what they're asking for.

So, a whole series of evidence

has been presented...

TAMARA SUED FOR USING HER NAME

...and now it's up to the judge.

I can tell you I'm having a hard time.

In 2001, I was sued

by the record label

of the bolero singer Tamara.

[reporter] You're talking about Tamara?

The real one?

"The real one?" Excuse me,

if we're going down that road...

I'm walking away.

-You showed your true colors.

-[reporter] Tamara... Tamara, please!

-Tamara.

-I'm sorry.

There was this other artist

called Tamara, just like her.

People had to distinguish

between the good Tamara and the bad.

Which Tamara?

Tamara from Seville? The good one?

This girl's a bolero singer.

She's a bolero singer. A performer.

They start a campaign that then spreads

to the rest of the media.

"The bad Tamara," "the fake Tamara."

It was a media group

that had all the power in the world,

and they went after me knowing

that I had registered the name,

but she hadn't.

And it was my identity.

And they took it away from me.

-Marisa!

-I'm so nervous.

I'm so happy to see you.

We had to accept that society

still wouldn't tolerate certain things.

They'd use the term "weirdo"

very liberally.

They were still connecting me to people

I no longer had anything to do with.

You keep opening old wounds.

That's my past.

I have no connection at all

to those people.

I make a living from my work.

And I want to make that clear.

My album, my biography,

which is about to come out...

And the album, which was a great album,

went unnoticed, which is a shame,

because it's still

a very modern-sounding album.

I still have some copies.

Did you know that I only have two?

I only have two copies of my own album.

-Know what they did with the copies?

-They were destroyed.

They destroyed them.

Because of the godforsaken name.

[man] There are very

telling videos out there,

that show what this lady does

and what she used to do.

It's not a disease.

It's like a plague of screwups.

They pick on her more than anyone else.

Day after day after day,

and she can't take it.

[Yurena] After the trial, I was subjected

to four years of relentless insults.

A complete lynching.

And constant ridicule.

And I cried and cried.

I wasn't used to that.

They gave her the moon on a string

which is outrageous

because she can't sing.

When you got rich,

you didn't care if we laughed at you.

[Yurena] One second.

[panelist] You're a puppet.

How many mothers of singers

come on set to beat up journalists?

-[Yurena] And how many...?

-[Juan] They were on TV all the time.

And it's true that it might be funny,

but at some point,

you get tired of it.

And there was something unsettling

about the cruelty they subjected her to.

[Mariola] The whole thing was

a super-easy-to-consume product

to address your most primal impulses.

All fed by a perverse television show

that pursued evil.

Everyone has their limit, don't they?

You keep taking it,

you keep taking it, you keep taking it,

but at some point,

you just can't take it anymore.

[melancholic piano notes playing]

[Yurena] I had so much pain inside,

the pain was so, so, so intense,

that all I could think about was resting.

[birdsong]

[Yurena] I tried to take my life twice

because of the media lynching.

Both times, they had to pump my stomach.

I just wanted to disappear for good.

They had to send a mobile ICU.

I don't even want to imagine the pain,

how my mother must've felt

seeing me like that.

[sniffs]

[voice breaking]

That's the only thing I remember.

[somber music playing]

When I woke up,

I remember her crying.

Devastated.

[gulps, sniffs]

She asked me

how I could have done such a thing.

[inhales shakily]

That if I had left her, she would've died.

[Luca] It's over. Breathe.

Exhale.

[Yurena] I need to get this out

so people know the truth.

[voice breaking] Once and for all.

[sobs]

Every one of them, all the characters

involved in the Tamarismo phenomenon

were mistreated on TV.

Yeah! They were seriously mistreated.

And when the show saw

there was nothing left there,

that all the wood had burned,

they did what TV always does,

they took that group and said, "Out!"

[audience cheering, whistling]

If we both made the song

"No Cambi" famous,

I don't think it's fair

that you turn your back on me

and go about your merry way.

I don't think that's fair.

You think getting your reconciliation

with those people doesn't hurt me?!

[intriguing music playing]

[dial tone]

[Leonardo] Hello, how are you?

See you later at the concert.

Okay, buddy. See you later.

[in Spanish] I didn't change

[in English] I'm thrilled to see my song

being played everywhere.

Everyone is singing the chorus

of "No Cambi."

When Tamara and I recorded "No Cambi"

with my lyrics and my music,

both registered at the Society of Authors,

we agreed that, from now on,

if they call one of us for a TV show,

we go together.

You called me and said,

"Listen, Arlekin is going to give me

one or two shows

and I'm going to accept them."

At that time, that man had posted a video

recorded through lies,

and it hurt me you accepted those jobs.

Arlekin had been looking for

various contracts for me.

Naturally, as an artist, I accepted them.

When I sang "No Cambi"...

She asked me how I could accept that

from someone who had treated her so badly.

And that's why she decided

to break up the duo, let's say.

The thing is, we parted ways

and that's where it all ended.

I felt betrayed, and actually,

I discussed it with him.

He isn't a bad person, really.

But it's been 24 years

since I've seen him.

I couldn't forgive him for that.

And from that moment on,

I severed all ties with him.

[bass guitar playing]

[Leonardo] Tamara-Yurena

made "No Cambi" famous,

while I, at the time, did the same

with "El Baile del Pauelo."

[audience cheering, whistling]

[Leonardo] There have been over

200 artists that have recorded my songs.

I wrote songs

for Los Chunguitos, Manolo Escobar,

Sara Montiel, Lola Flores,

Raffaella Carr...

but I'm known for the scarf dance.

[in Spanish] A brand-new dance

The handkerchief dance

Move your arms

Move your body

With the handkerchief dance

You'll truly have a blast

Futbolistas naturistas

[in English] With the song

"Futbolistas Naturistas," I was like,

"Football players drive my friend,

Bego, crazy."

I was inspired by my own life.

It's not that I dislike football,

but I'm not a big fan, you know?

But I do like football players in general.

[in Spanish] d*ck, c*ck, schlong, prick

Dong, pecker, rod, tool

Willy, joystick, joystick, shaft

Wiener, wang, knob, junk

So many names

The male member has a thousand names

The male member

[in English] Yeah!

As a singer, I think

I've recorded around 250 songs.

Rancheras, tangos, ballads, and coplas.

The kind of music

I'm drawn to the most is very melodic.

Music that's sentimental and romantic.

People often say,

"Look, it's the handkerchief guy."

And so, I'm proud of those things,

but the fact that my more serious songs

aren't known is a thorn in my side.

["La Bailarina"

by Leonardo Dants playing]

[Leonardo] The media

truly treated us horribly.

On the one hand, people loved me,

but for most people,

I was, let's say, the idiot on TV.

And in 2006, I decided

to return to my hometown.

They put up a large plate with a picture

of the poster of my third show.

And that was

one of the best days of my life.

[in Spanish] The dancer spun and spun

[in English] I'm someone

who likes good vibes.

FAN CLUB

-And this is for you, my darling.

-Thank you.

Keep up the good work.

Recently an idea struck me,

"impulse," as we say in my hometown.

and I thought, "I'm going to forgive

all the people who hurt me."

[song continues]

-You decided to fly with your own wings.

-[Yurena] Sure.

[Leonardo] And you know,

I had to make a living, Tamara.

-[Yurena] Good afternoon.

-Hello.

-How are you?

-It's been so long.

So long.

-A lot! Like 24 years?

-[man] More or less.

-Time flies.

-Unbelievable.

That's why we have to make the most of it.

-Well, I'm going to say hello.

-[man] Okay.

-Hello.

-[Yurena] Hello, Leonardo.

How are you?

-How are you?

-We haven't seen each other in ages!

It's been many years. Well, I...

-Twenty-two, I think.

-Hmm. Or even more.

-I think it's been 22.

-Oh, you mean since the show.

-Since the show.

-You're totally right.

-What do you like to be called now?

-Yurena. [chuckles]

Who would've thought, right?

That after such a long, long, long time

we'd be meeting again?

[Leonardo] That's right.

And what about your personal life,

if I may ask, Yure?

-Well...

-That's a different story, isn't it?

[Yurena] Hmm.

As you know, I lost my mother.

Her and I got along very well.

I have great memories of her.

She was always so kind and polite,

and she was very cool with me.

That's how she was.

Both in her case, and in our case,

they sold the most showy side,

the weird side, but they didn't want

to see our serious side.

The thing is that if, uh,

what is being sold

or projected about an artist,

or character,

comes from a place of truth,

you must embrace that.

Well, thank God, even though

we've had some differences,

generally speaking, we've never been...

It was never like...

We've always respected each other,

which is what matters.

You have, in my opinion,

such great charisma, and well...

There's no one like you.

Your personality is unique.

-Thank you so much.

-You've got something...

Something... Something special.

[optimistic music playing]

[interference]

TWELVE YEARS AFTER THE "NO CAMBI" BOOM

[presenter] Ladies and gentlemen,

she's back.

First, she was Tamara, then mbar,

and now Yurena.

The artist has emerged

from a deep depression.

The consequences: two suicide attempts.

The artist formerly known as Tamara

has reinvented herself.

[Yurena] I had to bury Tamara,

so I could create a new artist.

My new era as Yurena.

I put myself back together.

[camera clicks]

Then something mind-blowing happened,

something I could never have imagined

in a million years.

[dance music playing]

[Yurena] A production company

from Shanghai contacted me.

And I went off and did two tours

in China, in the same year!

Vctor and Vicente!

I was self-producing, working hand in hand

with the best producers.

Honestly, I'm so happy.

Oh, that's lovely!

I released a song

and a music video in China.

["Around the World" by Yurena playing]

It's not the kind of music I used to make.

This is dance. I used to do pop.

But I was so ready

to make the change in my life,

and I think I came back

stronger than ever.

Music never lets you down

Around the world, music

Around the world...

[Yurena] For me personally,

the music phase that I feel

most comfortable and happy with is,

above all, from "Around the World"

and onwards.

Music around the world

[Juan] After her mainstream success,

Yurena returned to what

she should've always been,

which is underground, anti-establishment...

-New name, new album.

-[presenter] Why...?

[Luis] Maybe Tamara was drawn

into a world she didn't belong in.

I think that little by little,

she's found her way.

And she started releasing amazing singles.

Decided to do Eurodance, like Kate Ryan.

Suddenly she became, I think,

the Spanish Kate Ryan, right?

There must be something about her,

that makes people remember her,

25 years later.

[Mario] She's made a resurgence.

She's taken the reins.

[Juan] Many people have tried to do it.

So she must have something

that made her succeed.

'Cause others have fallen by the wayside.

[woman] You need to rediscover that power

you had when you used to sing.

Your life will take

a 180-degree turn this year.

Music around the world

They're even making a TV show about her!

ON SET OF THE SERIES SUPERSTAR

VG NIGHTCLUB

-[man] Hello.

-[Yurena] Hello. Good morning.

-Is this the filming set?

-Yes.

[emotive music playing]

[Yurena] I never imagined

they'd make a TV show about my life.

-Mad with excitement and joy, I said yes.

-That's some recognition.

[Yurena] And guess who the first person

I thought about was?

Because I believe

in these things, of course.

It was my mother.

[music turns intriguing]

[low murmur]

[actor] You're trying to trick me?

Trick you?

...from Tiempo de Marte.

-[woman 1] Ssh!

-[woman 2] And... action!

[indistinct conversation]

[music continues]

[actor] Hello, I'm Paco Porras.

[chuckles] How are you? Nice to meet you.

-Could you sign it?

-Of course.

-I brought a bit of everything.

-Aw.

[Yurena laughs delightedly]

Hello, Yurena. I'm Secun.

-Hello, Secun.

-How are you?

It's a pleasure.

-Thank you so much, Tamara.

-And honestly, that gesture!

-Hello.

-I'm Pepn.

-How are you, Pepn?

-We've met. We've met before.

-Yes, you and I have met.

-We've met.

-Hello.

-[Yurena] Hello, Natalia.

Hello.

-[Yurena] They've done her a huge favor.

-[chuckles]

[Yurena] No, I'm serious.

ACTRESS THAT PLAYS TAMARA

You know what, Leonardo?

With the... that in the...

Neither you nor I

nor any other singer can do much.

With both... with both...

[in Spanish] You'll come back to me

As long as I want it

I'm gonna turn you into a puppet

You'll come back to me

-Paco.

-What's up?

[Nacho] Of all the actors

and actresses in this show,

there is one

that I really think you should meet,

and that's the woman who plays Margarita.

That really, really scares me.

It scares you?

I'm scared of how... how I'll react.

[photographer] Hello, hello.

Care for a quick photo?

-[Ingrid] How crazy is all this, huh?

-[Pepn] Yeah, it's crazy.

Yurena?

Roco.

PLAYS MARGARITA SEISDEDOS

[emotive music continues]

[Roco] I'm so happy.

[Yurena sobs]

Don't cry or I'll cry too.

[Yurena sobs] Oh, let me see you.

There hasn't been a single night

where I don't dream about her.

[sniffs] It's nice, because...

that's the only way I can see her now.

In my dreams.

Sorry for...

I couldn't help it.

I don't want you to hold back.

I could spend hours looking at you.

Look at me.

[metallic scrape]

Let's make a toast.

Oh my God.

To this unforgettable moment.

-To you.

-To Margarita.

Tamara can go as far as she wants to go.

That's the truth.

Because she can do anything.

And it's not because she's my daughter.

It's because she's a gem.

[emotive music continues]

[Yurena] I have no right

to keep her anymore.

I need to finally put her to rest

where she wanted, in her village,

next to her father's remains.

There are no cemetery records

from that time in Villarino.

And I don't know if we'll find the grave.

YURENA'S FRIEND

Don't worry, honey.

I'm sure we'll find a solution.

One way or another, we'll get it done.

[bell tolls]

MARGARITA SEISDEDOS'S HOMETOWN

[Luca] In my opinion, what you're

about to do is a crucial phase,

not only fulfilling your mother's wishes,

but also in paving the way

for a new chapter in your life.

There's no better gift we can give

to those who have departed

than to honor our own lives.

Transform her into a haven of support

and companionship for yourself.

[sobs] And how do you get there?

[Luca] Infuse her memory

with a certain intention.

She's not actually there

in her ashes. It's not her, is it?

In other words, she's inside you.

[music continues]

[Yurena] Hello, how are you?

[caretaker] Good. And you?

Well...

Oh my God,

I've never been to this cemetery before.

In my life.

My mother was sure that this was the one.

[caretaker] Sure, since there are so many

Seisdedos and Santos...

For some time, I thought

my mother was right.

Yeah, when they mentioned "black stone,"

this is pretty much the only one here.

Anyways...

[somber music playing]

[Yurena] He said he can't open the grave

without a record certifying

that my grandfather is buried there.

Don't let it wear you down.

The priest gave me the option of burying

her remains in a separate plot,

but that's not what my mother asked for.

She wanted to be with her father.

My mom's village,

my grandmother's, my grandfather's...

Everyone was born here.

But don't you think

your mother would like...

I don't know, I think she might like...

For me to leave her here?

-Or scatter some of her ashes here?

-No.

No, because that's not what she asked for.

Actually, knowing her

and knowing how much she loved me,

if she can't be where she wanted to be,

which was with her father,

she'd want to be with me.

[celestial flourish]

[musical introduction to "Yo Soy As"

by Yurena playing]

[Yurena] My life hasn't been easy

since I lost her.

Only those who have lived and experienced

such a strong bond

like the one my mother and I had,

can understand it.

My mother's ashes

will remain with me at my home.

I know there will be people who think,

"This woman is out of her mind."

On one hand, I was upset

I couldn't bury her, but on the other,

I'm relieved.

[in Spanish] I don't care what you do

I don't care what you say

Because the power of a diva

Is stronger than a thousand lies

[in English] I promised myself

that instead of locking myself up

in my house,

which is what I've been doing

for the last five years,

I'm going to fight with all my might,

and choose to try to live

as I lived before she died.

I've promised myself,

and I've promised her.

[in Spanish] I am who I am

I'll live the way I want to, like this

Come what may, like this

I'll fight whoever I have to

I never give up, winning is...

[in English] Cheers.

[in Spanish] Like this

I'll keep going even when it hurts

Like this

[in English] Let's go watch the show.

[in Spanish] Even when I can't sleep

Like this

Still holding my candle

Plotting the course

I know what's coming

Like this

I'll live the way I want to, like this

Come what may, like this

I'll fight whoever I have to

I never give up, winning is my mission

Tell me if you've got what it takes

To be like me

Like this

I'M STILL A SUPERSTAR

I don't care what you do

I don't care what you say

Because the power of a diva

Is stronger than a thousand lies

I don't care what you think

I don't care how you scheme

If I play bad or I play good

You know well what I'll do

I don't care if they laugh at me

I'm above all that's right and wrong

I am who I am

I'll live the way I want to, like this

Come what may, like this

I'll fight whoever I have to

I never give up, winning is my mission

Like this

I'll keep going even when it hurts

Like this

Even when I can't sleep, like this

Still holding my candle

Plotting the course

I know what's coming

Tell me if you've got what it takes

To be like me

Like this

[song ends]