Alfonso Cuarón Orozco, born 28 November 1961, is a Mexican film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor. Alfonso Cuaron is best known for his dramas A Little Princess (1995) and Y Tu Mamá También (2001), the fantasy film Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), and the science fiction thrillers Children of Men (2006) and Gravity (2013). Cuarón is the first Latino and Mexican director to win the Academy Award for Best Director…more.
What has changed about filming in Mexico since the last time you did?
So much has changed since the last time I filmed in Mexico. Now, there is a big and vibrant film industry. When I did Y Tu Mamá También in 1990, going into 2000, the industry was just starting to recover and starting to have a decent amount of film production, which was complemented by a decent amount of commercials.
Now, there is an immense amount of films shot in Mexico every year—maybe 150 films every year—and that’s not including commercials and even more television series, both from Mexican filmmakers and from others around the world.
I shot Y Tu Mamá También in 1999/2000 and ROMA in 2016/2017, and those two time periods are incredibly different and contrast Mexico City from when I was growing up and trying to begin my career as a filmmaker. At that time, the industry had almost disappeared.
I’m Mexican and my biggest dream is to be a filmmaker. What advice would you give to me?
I’m not very good at giving advice, but something that I feel strongly about is that—and this may sound like a cliché —it’s so important to remain true to yourself. And if you’re a Mexican whose dream is to become a filmmaker, keep your roots very well cemented in your culture….more.
Related: Alfonso Cuaron on Children of Men
