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Gael García Bernal Presents AMORES PERROS on the 25th Anniversary of Its Release at the 23rd FICM

Omar Sosa

To applause and cheers from the audience that filled screening room 5 at Cinépolis Morelia Centro, Gael García Bernal presented the restored version of Amores perros (2000), Alejandro G. Iñárritu's directorial debut, at the 23rd edition of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM). Daniela Michel, founder and director of FICM, and Alejandro Ramírez, president of the festival, were also present.

The restoration of the image and sound of this copy of Amores perros was carried out in 2020 by Criterion Collection, Estudio México Films, and Altavista Films; it was part of the last Cannes Classics, a section of the Cannes Film Festival dedicated to restored copies of films. 

The image was restored from the original 35 mm negative, which was scanned in 16-bit 4K resolution. The process was supervised and approved by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, as well as by director of photography Rodrigo Prieto. The new 5.1 surround sound mix, by Jon Taylor, was also supervised by the director alongside editing supervisor Martín Hernández.

“Amores Perros was the beginning of many things, it opened the doors to cinema in the purest sense, not in the industrial sense,” said Gael García Bernal, adding that he realized that acting was his calling after making the film. 

The filmmaker shared his experience during the film's premiere in 2000. He recalled that the theater where Amores Perros was screened during that year's Cannes Critics' Week was only half full. Just being there was fantastic and a triumph in itself, given their expectations. “A week later, the film won Critics' Week and the screening was like watching an El Tri concert,” he said of his feelings about the event that changed his life.

“Our lives took a different turn thanks to Alejandro González Iñárritu,” he added, expressing his gratitude to the director for the opportunity to participate in the feature film that marked his big-screen debut.

The actor asked who in the room had not yet seen the film, and very few hands went up. He felt very excited for those who would be seeing Iñárritu's debut film for the first time. “How wonderful that you are seeing it right now in a movie theater with people you don't know. This is the communal gathering we need,” he concluded before starting the film.