Guillermo del Toro. Photo: WikipediaWhen they hear of Mexico, most people think of tacos, tequila, Spring Break, Cinco de Mayo, and similar delicious or entertaining things that have seeped out of the country and into the global consciousness. They certainly don’t think of Hollywood filmmakers and actors, even if there are many of them at both sides of the camera.
Just think of Michelle Rodriguez, playing tough girls in various movies or Danny Trejo, famous for playing ageing but still tough guys in many productions of all categories.
Today, in turn, let’s take a look at who stands behind the cameras. Internet, meet the best-known filmmakers of Mexico.
Guillermo del Toro
Although Guillermo del Toro has only won an Academy Award last year, he is already well-known for his unique style, entertaining choice of visuals, and impressive filmography. The director, born in Guadalajara, Mexico, has delighted our eyes with productions like the horror flick Mimic (1997), the pressing horror sequel Blade II, the comic book movie Hellboy, the Kaiju-infused sci-fi flick Pacific Rim, and the romantic fantasy The Shape of Water that’s brought him two Academy Awards.
Few people know that he is also a writer, with his best-known being “The Strain” written in collaboration with Chuck Hogan, turned into a pretty successful TV series.
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Alejandro González Iñárritu has chosen a completely different path, though – instead of being the entertainer del Toro has chosen to be, he decided to tell serious stories for a serious audience. The result is a series of films that are both memorable and highly appreciated, like 2003’s “21 Grams”, 2014’s “Birdman”, and 2015’s “The Revenant”, with the latter bringing him 12 Academy Award nominations (unfortunately, the only one the movie won was the Best Actor, the first one to be taken home by actor Leonardo di Caprio).
Robert Rodriguez
Last but not least, let us mention a director who hasn’t won any Academy Awards but snuck into all our hearts with his diverse and unique movies, seemingly in complete disregard of cinematic traditions: Robert Rodriguez.
Rodriguez made his first feature film, 1992’s “El Mariachi”, on a budget of around $7,000, with part of the money raised by participating in multiple clinical trials at the same time. His film won the Audience Award at the 1993 Sundance Festival and ended up being the lowest-budget film ever to reach a box office revenue of $1 million.
“El Mariachi” spawned two sequels, “Desperado” and “Once Upon a Time in Mexico”, the first of which brought Rodriguez true mainstream success.
Over the years, Rodriguez has produced and directed horror movies (From Dusk Till Dawn, The Faculty, Planet Terror), action-noirs (Sin City and its sequel), kids’ movies (Spy Kids, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl), action flicks (the Mexico trilogy, the Machete franchise), and science fiction (the upcoming live-action “Alita: Battle Angel” movie).
His work has brought him many awards, mostly from film festivals and such, with the most traditionally prestigious being a ****** nomination for “From Dusk Till Dawn”. Yet his name – and work – is well-known for movie lovers all over the world.
