¿Son monstruos o amigos? (m1)

     If you were to travel back thirty seven years, más o menos, to the Mexican city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, you might come across a young boy walking to school. There might be nothing unusual about this boy, except for the blood coming out of his shoes. That would be from the metal bottle caps placed in shoes by his staunchly Catholic grandmother as a form of penance. Little did the world know that this boy would someday go on to direct and produce on two continents, and become a an influential figure in the film industry. That boy was Guillermo del Toro.
   The film visionary, fed by a life long obsession of things that go bump ( and more) in the night, invited his world to fuel his time as he studied film as early from the age of 8, and later formally in Guadalajara. He worked as a special effects and makeup artists, learning from the early greats in the business. Receiving his first big break with Cronos in 1993, winning nine Mexican academy awards. From there del Toro's career would take him to become a film legend, directing movies like Pan's Labyrinth and producing prolifically with Biutiful, Pacific Rim, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, and many, many more.
     Guillermo del Toro's love of monsters and fantasy is prevalent through each movie. His art serves a primary function in his life, like a religion. He once stated that, "To me, art and storytelling serve primal, spiritual functions in my daily life. Whether I'm telling a bedtime story to my kids or trying to mount a movie or write a short story or a novel, I take it very seriously." As an avid artist, I'm no stranger to feeling that devotion to art, as I'm sure other types of creators feel.
   The continuing threads of fantasy in del Toro's films, both the ones he makes and produces, may be intensely creepy or seem like the twisted dreams of a child, but that's nothing to scoff at or diminish. To create a film of any magnitude with del Toro's type of imagination requires skill, dedication, and a willingness to embrace the fantasies one holds since they were young. Perhaps what I find most admirable about Guillermo del Toro is that he is living proof of the artistic philosophy that you should simply invest your whole self into everything, and remain authentic. He continued a creative passion into his adulthood, worked tirelessly to make his visions reality, and never once "sold out". He has, in the past, turned down enticing offers to do what he wanted to do, whether or not others agreed with that. He follows the vision from day one. The results of this integrity are numerous: he helped put Guadalajara on the map for the Mexican film industry, has received a bevy of awards internationally, and has served as a pioneer for the fantasy/horro genre.
    Overall, I think we can fairly agree that this film master is, above all, un artista. Here's a favorite clip of mine, where del Toro talks about his journey in making Pan's Labyrinth, as well as about his film making process. Enjoy! Last but not least, here's a favorite quote of mine from Guillermo del Toro:

"I believe in mankind. I believe in mankind, as the worst and the best that has ever happened to this world"