In 2000, a Mexican film was released that impacted society due to its realism and innovative narrative. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu alongside actors such as Gabriel Garcia BernalEmilio Echavarría and Goya Toledo presented the film Love DogsTo this day, the film is considered one of the best of new Mexican cinema.
For his filming, the director chose several emblematic sites in Mexico City, including a house located in the mayor’s office Iztapalapa. Several of the main characters lived in this house. Film fans know this place well, where several of the best scenes of the film were filmed.
In Love Dogs, the house has a facade decorated with mosaic tiles in green colors, white windows and obvious neglect. Nowadays, the place is very different. The building has been significantly transformed: it has a different design, the windows and doors are clean and it is painted a fairly neutral gray color.
The post outside the house Octavian (played by Gabriel García Bernal) is still standing, and many of the neighboring houses have not changed much. This is the correct address of the place in case you want to take a look from Google Maps: C. Leiria 14, San Andrés Tetepilco, Iztapalapa, 09440 Mexico City, CDMX.
Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, Amores Perros is a Mexican film that was released in the year 2000. It is the first installment of the director’s death trilogy, which also includes 21 grams and Babel. The plot takes place in Mexico City and is divided into three interconnected stories, all of them connected by a car accident.
The first storytitled “Octavio and Susana,” follows Octavio (Gael García Bernal), a young man who is in love with his brother’s wife, Susana (Vanessa Bauche). To escape the domestic violence that Susana suffers, Octavio decides to participate in clandestine dog fights in hopes of earning enough money to run away together.
The second story, “Daniel and Valeria,” centers on Daniel (Álvaro Guerrero), a man who leaves his family for Valeria (Goya Toledo), a famous model. Her lives change drastically when Valeria is seriously injured in the car accident and loses a leg, which also affects her professional career. As Valeria struggles with her new reality, her relationship with Daniel comes under increasing strain.
The third story“El Chivo y Maru” introduces El Chivo (Emilio Echevarría), a former guerrilla turned hitman who seeks redemption and reconnection with his daughter Maru (Lourdes Echevarría). His life takes an unexpected turn when he finds an injured dog at the scene of an accident, leading him to reconsider his actions and priorities.
Love Dogs received international acclaim and numerous awards, including the Critics’ Week Grand Prize at the London Film Festival. Cannes. The film is known for its non-linear narrative style, its gritty realism, and its exploration of themes such as violence, love, and redemption. Gustavo Santaolalla’s music and Rodrigo Prieto’s photography have also been highlighted for their contribution to the film’s emotional impact.
This debut feature by González Iñárritu marked a milestone in Mexican cinema and helped establish the director and actors involved in the global film scene.
