By Jailene Giron
Surrounded by applause and ovations, this is how filmmaker Guillermo del Toro returned to the Cannes Competition during the special screening of his film “Pan’s Labyrinth”within the framework of the 20-year anniversary of its premiere.
In a special event that brought together great stars of the seventh art, called “Cannes Classics”, The Mexican director presented the 4K restoration of the production that appeared in the 2006 official competition. Q
Prior to the screening, Guillermo del Toro took the microphone to share a raw look at the process of making said project. According to the Oscar winner, this was full of obstacles from its early stages, since no one wanted to finance it.
“Twenty years ago, making this film was like going against the grain at all times.”
However, this bad taste in the mouth was not limited to the pre-production process; and he ended up describing its filming as “the second worst cinematographic experience”, just behind “Mimic”, in collaboration with the Weinstein brothers.
Of the 20-minute ovation that “Pan’s Labyrinth” received during its Cannes premiere back in 2006, Del Toro recalled: “Although you cannot change history, it is always possible to transform it a little through art and hope,” he stressed.
The director’s reflection also addressed the current context that exists within the audiovisual world, as well as the pressures that its creators face.
“They tell us that you can make art with a damn app, and we are faced with such formidable things… But I feel and think, like the girl Ofelia in ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’, that if we could only leave a mark, if we could pit our faith against our faith and our strength against our strength, there is hope,” he said.
The famous one ended forcefully: “The last thing we can do is surrender to one of two forces: we can surrender to love or we can surrender to fear. Never, never, never surrender to fear.”
The tribute to Guillermo del Toro and his work “Pan’s Labyrinth” coincided with the opening of the competition, which also recognized director Peter Jackson with an honorary Palme d’Or on May 12.
Continue reading:
• Guillermo del Toro will screen a restored version of “Pan’s Labyrinth” at the Cannes Competition
• Guillermo del Toro surprises at Sundance 2026 singing with mariachi
• Guillermo del Toro condemns artificial intelligence at the Gotham Awards
