Alek Keshishian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alek Keshishian
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Keshishian in 2022
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| Born | July 30, 1964 Beirut, Lebanon
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| Alma mater | Harvard University |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
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Notable work
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Madonna: Truth or Dare Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me |
Alek Keshishian (born July 30, 1964) is an Armenian-American director. He makes movies, commercials, and music videos. He also writes and produces films. His 1991 documentary, Madonna: Truth or Dare, was a huge success. It was the highest-earning documentary for many years. This film also changed how people made movies about famous people.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Alek Keshishian was born in Beirut, Lebanon. His mother was Cecile Keshishian, and his father, Kevork Keshishian, was a children's doctor. In 1969, his family moved to the United States. They first lived in Brookline, Massachusetts. Then, they moved to Manchester, New Hampshire.
The Keshishian family was part of a strong Armenian community. They often welcomed Armenian refugees into their home. Alek and his younger sister, Aleen Keshishian, grew up speaking both English and Armenian. Both siblings started acting when they were children. They performed with different theater groups. These included the New Hampshire Children's Theatre.
Keshishian went to St. Paul's School. Later, he attended Harvard University. He graduated with honors in 1986. For his final project, he created a pop-opera version of the book Wuthering Heights. This show used music by famous artists like Kate Bush and Madonna. It received a lot of attention.
Career Highlights
Directing Music Videos and Documentaries
After college, Keshishian moved to Los Angeles. There, he started directing music videos. He worked with popular artists such as Bobby Brown, Run-DMC, and Elton John.
In 1991, when he was 26, Madonna called him. She had seen his Wuthering Heights project. She had also followed his career. Just a few hours after their call, Keshishian went to a rehearsal for Madonna's Blond Ambition World Tour.
HBO first asked Keshishian to film backstage moments of Madonna's tour in Japan. He filmed everything, both on and off stage. The footage from Japan was very strong. Keshishian and Madonna also got along very well. This led to the making of Madonna: Truth or Dare. This film became the biggest-earning documentary of its time.
The Guardian newspaper wrote about the film's 30th anniversary. They said Keshishian was interested in Madonna's life backstage. She was surrounded by her "family" of assistants and dancers. Many of her dancers were queer. Keshishian thought the group was like the lively characters in a Federico Fellini movie. Truth or Dare was filmed in a free, chaotic style. It often used grainy black-and-white film. This made it feel very real.
Feature Films and Commercials
In 1994, Keshishian directed a movie called With Honors. It starred Joe Pesci, Brendan Fraser, and Patrick Dempsey. The movie was number one at the box office when it came out. However, critics did not give it very good reviews.
When he was 29, Keshishian moved to London. There, he focused on photography and directing commercials. He created ads for big companies. These included Coca-Cola, Peugeot, and Volkswagen. He also wrote, directed, and produced an independent film. It was called Love and Other Disasters. This movie was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. It was also a special screening at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.
After returning to the U.S. in 2006, he continued directing commercials. He also worked on special projects. He directed two campaigns for Jennifer Aniston with Smartwater. He also directed funny short videos. These featured Chelsea Handler with Sandra Bullock and Conan O'Brien.
In 2011, he helped Madonna write the screenplay for her film W.E..
Working with Selena Gomez
In 2015, Keshishian directed the music video for Selena Gomez's song "Hands to Myself". Selena Gomez's manager is Keshishian's sister, Aleen. Gomez was a big fan of Truth or Dare.
In 2016, Keshishian filmed live performances and behind-the-scenes footage of Gomez. This was during her Revival Tour. He planned to make a documentary. However, the project was put on hold. Keshishian later said that Gomez was not doing well at that time.
In 2019, Gomez asked him to film her trip to Kenya. She was there for a charity. This brought the documentary project back to life. Keshishian filmed over 200 hours of real-life footage for the movie. The film was called Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me. It was released in 2022.
A review in New York Times said the film was "sincere and soul-baring." The reviewer noted that Keshishian "worked the same kind of magic on Madonna for Truth or Dare." The review also said My Mind & Me shows that struggling is a normal part of being human.
Films Directed
- Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991) – a documentary
- With Honors (1994)
- Love and Other Disasters (2006)
- W.E. (2011) – he co-wrote this film with Madonna
- Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022) – a documentary
Music Videos Directed (partial list)
- "(He's Got) The Look" (1988) – Vanessa Williams
- "Dreamin'" (1988) – Vanessa Williams
- "Don't Be Cruel" (1988) – Bobby Brown
- "My Prerogative" (1988) – Bobby Brown
- "Don't Rush Me" (1988) – Taylor Dayne
- "Darlin' I" (1989) – Vanessa Williams
- "Every Little Step" (1989) – Bobby Brown
- "On Our Own" (1989) – Bobby Brown
- "Sacrifice" (1989) – Elton John
- "Like a Virgin" (Truth or Dare version) (1991) – Madonna
- "Holiday" (Truth or Dare version) (1991) – Madonna
- "This Used to Be My Playground" (1992) – Madonna
- "I'll Remember" (1994) – Madonna
- "Hold Me" (2000) – Savage Garden
- "Insatiable" (2002) – Darren Hayes
- "Hands to Myself" (2015) – Selena Gomez
- "Save It Til Morning" (2017) – Fergie
See also
In Spanish: Alek Keshishian para niños
