Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro recounts the lengths he went through to finance his first movie.
In a video from 2001 that’s resurfaced and is warming hearts across social media, Oscar-winning writer-director Guillermo del Toro recounts the extraordinary, almost comical lengths he went to finance his debut 1993 feature, Cronos—including what he refers to as “one of the most pathetic hot pursuits in the history of mankind.”
The clip, shared by the Toronto International Film Festival, shows del Toro explaining the non-traditional methods he had to resort to in order to finance Cronos, a quirky vampire flick which Roger Ebert described as “the stuff of classic horror films… [combined] with colorful Latin magic realism.” At the time, no one but the then 29-year-old director believed in the project, forcing del Toro to mortgage his house and sell his beloved car to scrape together the rest of the budget for the film, which totaled roughly $2 million.
“I was so broke,” del Toro recounts with a laugh.
“I was on the way to deliver my van to the car dealership where they were going to put it up for sale. And, for anyone who saw that movie, [I had] the giant gears from inside the clock in my van... and I was driving, I realized that I didn’t have the money to bribe a policeman. I had just passed a red light, and the cop was chasing me, and I said, 'I don’t have the money to bribe him, I’m going to have to escape.” - Guillermo del Toro
In Guadalajara, where del Toro was, and in Mexico at large, there’s a culture of “la mordida,” which translates to “the bite.” Colloquially, it's a term that refers to the common practice of bribing police officers, which is widely recognized as an aspect of daily life and as an informal way to resolve minor infractions, such as traffic violations. In a survey from 2023, over 20% of respondents in Mexico said that they were asked or required to pay a bribe to police officers.
“So, in comes one of the most pathetic hot pursuits in history of mankind,” continues del Toro. “A guy with an old van and huge gears, and a cop in a very crappy police car.” He goes on to explain that, despite these extreme sacrifices, he never recovered the money. “I mean, I did get a career, I did get to do other movies, but I lost a quarter of a million dollars out of my own pocket,” he describes. “And back then, the interest [at] the bank was 110%.”
Which might have been fine, if the movie had done well in Mexico. But the financial nightmare didn’t end with production. After the movie wrapped, the Mexican government refused to support it—despite Cronos and del Toro's invitation to Festival de Cannes, the world's most prestigious international film festival. “What was even more disheartening is that after having the movie done, the government saw it and said 'Well, it’s okay,’” says del Toro. “And I was like, 'Oh, but it’s so beautiful and it’s about vampires!’” So again, on his own dime, del Toro found his way to Cannes, without the official support or funding from his home country.
He recalls this part of the story with charismatic warmth: “So I said, 'Well, it’s a festival. I’ve been to a festival in Guadalajara; I think I can handle it. Let’s get there with 20 posters and a roll of tape; should prove more than enough.” The audience and del Toro laugh, knowing the immense scale of the distinguished film festival. When he and his wife arrived with just 20 posters in hand, del Toro immediately felt the sheer immensity of the moment. The director, despite being an atheist, even admits to praying in a church near Cannes out of desperation.
In a moment of desperation, del Toro, an atheist, prayed to God for help.media2.giphy.com
Yet, Cronoscrushed at Cannes that year, where del Toro was nominated for the Caméra d’Or (or "Golden Camera,” the award for the best feature film by a first-time director). He also won the International Critic’s Mercedes-Benz Award, launching del Toro’s remarkable career, which began with an official Oscar submission for Best International Film from Mexico for Cronos in 1993. And although that film failed to pick up a nomination, del Toro would go on to win multiple Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, for films including The Shape of Water (2017) and Pan’s Labyrinth (2006).
For aspiring screenwriters and creatives facing their own obstacles, del Toro’s journey offers a powerful reminder: sometimes, the most beautiful work requires incredibly difficult sacrifices. But in hindsight, even the most monumental of setbacks can be the very thing that leads you to your destiny. Or, in del Toro’s own words: “I think we live our lives seeking the shortest route, the closest parking space—everything quick, cheap, fast. And it’s not better. Two-thirds of the satisfaction of getting something is the process of getting it.”
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