The Dogs are Still Barking: Celebrating 25 Years of AMORES PERROS and Cinema Tropical

Gael García Bernal behind the scenes of Amores Perros. Image courtesy of MUBI.

Few milestones in contemporary film history align as perfectly as the one currently anchoring the world of Latin American cinema. As MUBI brings Alejandro González Iñárritu’s masterpiece Amores Perros back to theaters, we aren’t just celebrating the re-release of a classic—we are celebrating a dual quarter-century milestone.

Twenty-five years ago, Amores Perros burst onto the international stage, fundamentally altering the trajectory of Mexican filmmaking. Right alongside that cinematic revolution, Cinema Tropical was born, dedicating the last 25 years to championing, distributing, and amplifying the very voices that Amores Perros helped bring to light.

To honor this joint anniversary, film journalist Carlos Aguilar sat down with director Alejandro González Iñárritu and star Gael García Bernal to reflect on the alchemy, the anxiety, and the enduring muscle of a film that changed everything.

Tuesday the 13th: Nervousness and Catharsis in Cannes

Before it was a global phenomenon, Amores Perros was just a vulnerable first feature premiering at Cannes Critics' Week on a Tuesday the 13th—a number that would inexplicably become the production’s lifelong lucky charm.

For a 20-year-old Gael García Bernal, the premiere was a moment of pure, disorienting transcendence. Feeling like "octopuses in a garage" walking into the theater, Bernal recalls the lights going down and a feeling of complete catharsis taking over:

"I was completely transfixed by the film, by the story, by the energy... It was an amazing and beautiful moment that's never going to be repeated. I remember thinking, ‘Wow, I don't know what this is, but it's the best thing ever.’"

For Iñárritu, however, that first screening was a test of survival. Sweaty and chain-smoking outside the Miramar theater as a few patrons trickled out early, he rushed to a lunch with his cinematic hero and jury president, Bernardo Bertolucci. When Iñárritu confessed his envy of the master's confidence, Bertolucci offered some sobering wisdom: "I have bad news for you—after the first one, it just gets worse. The expectations are higher, and you feel even more pressure."

By Friday, the anxiety evaporated. The film won Critics’ Week, the theater was packed to the ceiling, and all of Cannes erupted.

Amores perros by Alejandro González Iñárritu.

Why the Dogs are Still Barking

Twenty-five years later, the visceral energy of Amores Perros hasn't faded, finding a surprisingly robust second life with younger audiences who weren't even born when it premiered. Iñárritu attributes this enduring connection to what he calls the universal "geometry of brokenness" driving the characters—human beings looking for love, often on the wrong side of it, whose flawed decisions still deeply resonate. This emotional gravity is reinforced by a bold, circular narrative structure that subverts traditional Hollywood formulas by starting with the consequence—the infamous car accident—rather than the cause, maintaining a muscular dramatic tension throughout. Furthermore, the film acts as a metaphysical mirror to a specific socio-political turning point, capturing a gritty, pre-cellphone 

Mexico City at the dawn of democracy and the chipping away of long-standing government censorship. It locked a specific historical moment into its biochemical nature while uncovering timeless, raw truths about Latin American reality.

The Faces and Beats of a Masterpiece

The conversation also dove into the unique elements that gave the film its distinct, unforgettable DNA—namely, its raw casting and its visceral rhythm. Iñárritu recalled discovering a teenage Gael García Bernal in the short film De Tripas, Corazón, instantly captivated by a screen presence he compared to Alain Delon in Le Samourai. "He’s got this very interesting wolf-like face. 

He’s got purple eyes like Elizabeth Taylor," the director joked, noting that cinema history is ultimately built on just a few unforgettable landscapes of human features. That visual intensity was matched by a mythological soundtrack. Drawing from his own experience working as a radio DJ and concert promoter in his twenties, Iñárritu poured his musical soul into the film's pacing alongside master composer Gustavo Santaolalla. 

By weaving in tracks from then-emerging bands like Control Machete and Nacha Pop, they created a legendary sonic landscape that perfectly captured the heartbeat of Latin American life—a triumph recently celebrated with a special vinyl release.

Gael García Bernal and Alejandro González Iñárritu with Carlos A. Gutiérrez of Cinema Tropical at a special sneak preview of Amores Perros

Beyond the Screen: Scrapbooks and Labyrinths

The 25th anniversary doesn’t just live in theaters. Iñárritu has channeled his memories into a new, deeply personal "workbook" style scrapbook, full of family-album-style production photos and essays by Latin American literary icons like Jorge Volpi and Wendy Guerra.

Even more staggering is a new traveling sensory art installation. After discovering a miraculous one million feet of unused film in the archives of the University of Mexico (the final cut only used 17,000 feet), Iñárritu created a dark, smoky labyrinth of film projectors and Mexico City soundscapes.

"In the time of AI, this is a physical experience," Iñárritu emphasized. "Film is made by the body and experienced by the body."

A Shared Quarter-Century Legacy

As Gael García Bernal beautifully observed, Amores Perros remains a film that "both hurts and inspires me to look for an answer to the very question it presents: where are we going now?"

For 25 years, Cinema Tropical has been helping film lovers navigate that exact question, mapping the brilliant, unpredictable terrain of Latin American cinema. We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate our shared silver anniversary than by returning to where this modern era of cinema began.

Amores Perros returns to theaters this Friday, June 12 via MUBI, ahead of its streaming release later this year. Don't miss the chance to experience its bark on the big screen once again. Showtimes and tickets available here.





Puerto Rico's SUMMER OF THREE Wins Two Awards at Tribeca

The Puerto Rican film Summer of Three, a deeply personal father-son collaboration between director Carlitos Ruiz-Ruiz (Maldeamores) and actor-writer-producer Marcel Ruiz (One Day at a Time), won two major prizes in the U.S. Narrative Competition at the 25th edition of the Tribeca Festival. The coming-og-age drama earned the Performing Award for its three lead performers—Marcel Ruiz, Paolo Schoene, and Kiki Montilla—as well as the Screenplay Award for co-writers Carlitos Ruiz-Ruiz, Marcel Ruiz, and Mariana S. Belaval.

This marks the second consecutive year that a Puerto Rican film has received major recognition at Tribeca. In 2025, Esta Isla, directed by Cristian Carretero and Lorraine Jones Molina, won three awards in the same U.S. Narrative Competition: Best New Narrative Director, Best Cinematography, and a Special Jury Mention for Best U.S. Narrative Feature.

The film follows 17-year-old Javi, who returns alone to Puerto Rico years after leaving the island following his father's death, this time for his grandfather's funeral. What begins as a reluctant trip soon becomes an unexpected homecoming that compels him to confront his past and reshapes his understanding of belonging.

Back in his childhood home, the suffocating heat, buried memories, and chaotic surroundings convince him that this will be the worst summer of his life. That changes when he meets Luife and Kiki, two larger-than-life misfits who pull him into their orbit. As the three drift through a vibrant, ever-evolving Puerto Rico, Javi becomes entangled in a tender yet volatile love triangle that challenges his ideas of love, friendship, and grief.

Set against the island's lush landscapes and contemporary cultural rhythms, Summer of Three reflects a generation navigating identity, belonging, and emotional awakening. Through an intimate and sensorial approach, anchored by naturalistic performances, the film immerses viewers in a portrait of youth shaped by music, intimacy, and the complexities of returning home. Its soundtrack—a curated blend of reggaeton classics and emerging voices from Puerto Rico's indie scene—further roots the film in the island's youthful energy.

Directed with warmth and sensitivity, Ruiz-Ruiz's latest feature is both an ode to a new generation of Puerto Ricans and a celebration of the island's future. The film brings together a cast that includes newcomers Kiki Montilla—who inspired her own character—and Paolo Schoene. Intimately lensed by Pablo Ascanio, Summer of Three offers an immersive and emotionally resonant portrait of adolescence, capturing the fragile space between friendship, desire, and self-discovery during a transformative summer. 





25 años de AMORES PERROS: La película mexicana regresa a los cines en nueva restauración 4K

MUBI, la plataforma global de streaming, distribuidora y productora cinematográfica, ha anunciado el reestreno en cines de Norteamérica de Amores perros, la seminal ópera prima del cineasta mexicano ganador de cinco Premios de la Academia, Alejandro G. Iñárritu (The RevenantBirdman, 21 gramos). La película se estrenará el viernes, 12 de junio en cines de todo el país incluyendo en Nueva York, Los Ángeles, Houston y San Francisco, entre otras ciudades. 

Celebrando su 25º aniversario, una nueva restauración en 4K de Amores perros tuvo su estreno mundial en la sección Cannes Classics del Festival de Cannes 2025 con la presencia de Alejandro G. Iñárritu y del actor Gael García Bernal, donde MUBI adquirió los derechos mundiales de la película. La restauración fue realizada por Criterion Collection, Estudio Mexico Films y Altavista Films, con la supervisión de color de Iñárritu y del director de fotografía Rodrigo Prieto (Killers of the Flower MoonBrokeback Mountain, Babel), además de una nueva mezcla de sonido 5.1 realizada por Jon Taylor en NBCUniversal StudioPost.

Considerada ampliamente como una de las películas más importantes del cine del siglo XXI, Amores perros se estrenó en el Festival de Cannes en el año 2000, donde obtuvo el Gran Premio de la Semana de la Crítica, lanzando la carrera internacional de Iñárritu. Este intenso retrato coral sobre el amor, la pérdida y la supervivencia en la Ciudad de México recibió una nominación al Premio de la Academia a Mejor Película en Lengua Extranjera y permanece como una obra fundamental del cine contemporáneo.

Amores perros explora el caos y la ternura de la condición humana a través de tres historias unidas por un mismo accidente automovilístico fatal: Octavio (Gael García Bernal), un joven que se involucra en el mundo clandestino de las peleas de perros para huir con la esposa de su hermano; Valeria (Goya Toledo), una supermodelo cuya carrera se ve truncada tras la colisión; y El Chivo (Emilio Echeverría), un exguerrillero convertido en sicario que presencia el accidente y altera para siempre el destino de todos los involucrados.

Iñárritu comenta: “Es increíble que estos perros salvajes sigan ladrando 25 años después. Me entusiasma mucho que MUBI lleve Amores perros nuevamente a la pantalla grande, especialmente para las nuevas generaciones que nunca tuvieron la oportunidad de verla en una sala de cine. Esta película cambió la vida de todos los que la hicimos".

La celebración del aniversario trasciende la pantalla con Sueño Perro, una instalación multisensorial que recupera material de archivo en 35 mm nunca antes visto y que actualmente se exhibe en el Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles (LACMA) hasta el 26 de julio de 2026.

Acompañando esta conmemoración se publica también, a través de MACK, un libro retrospectivo definitivo que reúne fotografías inéditas del rodaje, storyboards originales y notas manuscritas de producción de Iñárritu, junto con textos de destacados cineastas como Denis Villeneuve y Walter Salles, ofreciendo una mirada privilegiada al proceso creativo de uno de los realizadores más influyentes del cine contemporáneo.