Sundance 2026: Nezza expands on her activism in 'La Tierra del Valor'

This is read by an automated voice.Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.

Ever since she could remember, the burgeoning L.A.pop singer Nezza has written her own songs.

She’s choreographed her own moves.She’s even applied her own rhinestones to her outfits.Then last summer, she staged her own protest at Dodger Stadium — as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents stormed the city and raided immigrant communities, prompting waves of demonstrations from angry Angelenos.Directed by News & Documentary Emmy Award-winning director Cristina Costantini, Nezza stars in a new short documentary film titled “La Tierra del Valor” (The Home of the Brave), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday.

Powered by Latina grit and glory, the film chronicles the lead-up to Nezza’s famous act of defiance: singing the Spanish-language rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” titled “El Pendón Estrellado.” The song was penned by the Peruvian American composer Clotilde Arias in 1945, then revived by Nezza, who performed it ahead of a Dodgers home game on June 14.Despite clearing the song ahead of time with representatives for the Dodgers, Nezza said she was dissuaded from singing in Spanish on game day by an unnamed employee of the team.“What I’ve learned most is that doing the right thing probably always will feel not safe,” said Nezza outside the Library Center Theater in Park City, Utah, where the film premiered.

“But it’s always gonna feel right, and that feeling will just fuel you for years to come.”Born Vanessa Hernández to a Dominican mother and Colombian father in the Bay Area, Nezza always possessed an independent, D.I.Y.spirit, which blazes brightly throughout the documentary.

The 31-year-old singer, along with director Costantini, sat down with The Times to unpack the ripple effects from that tumultuous summer of 2025 — as well as future plans for the burgeoning Latina pop star.This interview has been edited a...