Despite ‘Pinocchio’ success, del Toro fears for Mexican cinema

Despite his international success, including a new adaptation of the classic puppet tale “Pinocchio,” Oscar-winning Mexican director Guillermo del Toro fears that his country’s cinema industry is facing “systematic destruction.”

Del Toro’s animated version of “Pinocchio,” was the most watched film on streaming platform Netflix in the week of December 12-18.

Del Toro, Inarritu and Alfonso Cuaron represent a golden generation of Mexican filmmakers who have won the best director trophy at the Oscars five times since 2013.

But in stark contrast to the international acclaim for the trio, dubbed “The Three Amigos,” del Toro has now warned that the country’s film industry is facing “unprecedented” challenges.

“The systematic destruction of Mexican cinema and its institutions -- which took decades to build -- has been brutal,” he tweeted recently.

Del Toro highlighted an announcement by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences that next year’s Ariel Awards -- the country’s equivalent of the Oscars -- were postponed until further notice due to a “serious financial crisis.”

The organization said it regretted that “the support of public resources has decreased considerably in recent years.

“The state, which was the motor and support of the academy for a long time, has renounced its responsibility as the main promoter and disseminator of culture in general and of cinema in particular,” it added.

Del Toro even offered to pay for the Ariel statuettes out of his own pocket.

“He’s a generous colleague, an artist who is always aware of what is happening not only with Mexican cinematography but with the arts in general in the country,” said Academy president Leticia Huijara.

She would, however, prefer an agreement with the state.

Maria Novaro, the general manager of the Mexican Film Institute (Imcine), a government agency, thinks the warnings are exaggerated.

“Del Toro says that there is no more Mexican cinema in the year when there have never been so many productions,” she said, hailing a “record” 256 films in 2021. “And 56 per cent received support from public money. Imcine devotes 900 million pesos ($45 million) a year to financing Mexican cinema,” said Novaro.