On Wednesday, March 30, Netflix will premiere its first documentary made in Colombia, a revealing work that chronicles the life and career of Colombian singer Diomedes Díaz, whose legacy was overshadowed when he was accused of the death of one of his fans.

Diomedes: The Idol, the Mystery and the Tragedy was directed by Colombians Jaime Barbosa and Jorge Durán, who conducted an investigation for more than six months with a team of 11 people.

"Netflix's documentaries are characterized by portraying epic characters very well and Diomedes fits within those criteria. For us, he is an exceptional character. The peaks and valleys that he had in his life were so dramatic that when they are told in a coherent and in a responsible way, we can see that he ends up reflecting the society he lived in," said Durán about why they chose Diomedes for the work, during an interview at the launch of the documentary in Cartagena. 

The documentary features testimonials from leading authorities in the music industry and Colombian folklore, such as Jorge Baron, Ivan Zuleta and Tito Castilla, among others. It also features his son Rafael Santos and widow, Luz Consuelo Martinez.

Barbosa, the other director of the project, mentioned that several difficulties arose during the making of the film, such as the research, which "was a long process to compile the necessary documentation and main sources that helped us create a complete account of Diomedes' life." The editing was also a challenge, as it "included the archival material gathered in the research and the selection of interviews with the sources who gave us their testimony, to achieve a balance between the popular idol and the scandal of a crime was the most demanding challenge for us.”

Finally, during the premiere of the platform's new work, the directors mentioned that the facts shown would not be different if the documentary had been made when the famous vallenato artist was alive.

"The portrait of Diomedes that we proposed from the beginning did not depend on direct testimony from him, the only thing that would have changed would have been the end of the film, since he would not be dead," Barbosa said. 

Diomedes: The Idol, the Mystery and the Tragedy will be available to all Netflix users who want to learn more about the history of the famous 'Cacique de la junta.'