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.
