‘Perros’, When trust becomes a battleground
Gerardo Minutti makes his feature film debut at the Festival de Málaga with a black comedy that examines the limits of coexistence and selfishness through a neighbourhood conflict
On Tuesday 18 March, the Festival de Málaga presented 'Perros', a film by Gerardo Minutti competing in the Feature Films Official Competition. The Saldaña family, who are looking after the Pernas' house and dog, end up taking over the space and enjoying it as their own. But the animal's disappearance triggers a power struggle that reveals the hidden miseries and tensions between the two families.
The press conference held in Sala 1 of the Albéniz Cinema was attended by the film's director Gerardo Minutti, the three leading actors, María Elena Pérez, Marcelo Subbioto and Nestor Guzzini; the producers Sandino Sarabia and RodolfoIriñiz; and the executive producer Santiago López.
The director expressed his excitement at being at the Festival de Málaga and shared that "it is an incredible place for the film to have its world premiere". Minutti explained that the film "seeks to address the conflict between social classes" that the director characterised as "aspirationally equal". "The film looks at how we build our bonds and what we regret about them. It is these that lay bare the miseries that are part of our daily lives and define us," he added.
On the other hand, actor Néstor Guzzini shared that "filming was a very intense process". He also highlighted the role of the spaces and the houses, "another of the great protagonists". During the filming they were able to "incorporate the characters into that place" and in this way "define them".
The actress María Elena Pérez stresses that "the same thing that happened with the houses, also happened with the dogs", who are undoubtedly also "protagonists" of the story.
In relation to the dogs, actor Nestor Guzinni confessed that while shooting the film he discovered that the characters "are really fond of their dogs, but what they really have is an inability to communicate with other human beings". For his part, actor Marcelo Subbioto highlighted the character of the mechanic who acts as a hinge between the two houses and "legalises the land".
Santiago López, executive producer, stressed the importance of this film being a co-production between Argentina and Uruguay: "Nowadays it is practically impossible to produce a film in Argentina". He argued that "Uruguayan cinema was formed with money from Argentinian cinema" and that they were now "returning the favour".
Finally, the director stated that the title of the film, ‘Perros’ (Dogs), derives from "characters who are all bark and no bite".
Following its premiere at the Festival de Málaga, 'Perros' will begin its tour of cinemas in 2025.
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