Mexican Director Guillermo del Toro Says People Attack Art Because It Makes Us Human

Guillermo del Toro used his acceptance speech at Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch and Creative Impact Awards to issue a warning instead of offering thanks. Addressing emerging filmmakers during the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Mexican director spoke about art as responsibility, participation, and protection at a moment when creative work is increasingly treated as disposable.

The message carried particular weight for Latino communities, where storytelling has long functioned as survival, memory, and resistance rather than ornament, and where access to authorship remains uneven despite decades of contribution.

Art as a Line That Should Not Be Crossed

Del Toro spoke directly to the idea that art can be dismissed, replaced, or automated without consequence. He urged young filmmakers to reject that framing entirely.

“Be kind, be involved, believe in your art,” he said. “At a time when people tell you art is not important, that is always the prelude to fascism. When they tell you it doesn’t matter, when they tell you a [expletive] app can do art you say, if it’s that important, why the [expletive] do they want it so bad? The answer is because they think they can debase everything that makes us a little better, a little more human. And that, in my book, and in my life, includes monsters.”

For Latino audiences, this argument reflects lived experience. Culture has often carried truth when institutions offered silence. Stories have preserved dignity when opportunity narrowed. Del Toro framed art as something that demands defense because it shapes how people understand one another.

Representation Still Lags Behind Reality

Despite the global success of Latino artists across film, music, and television, Hollywood continues to reflect a gap between influence and opportunity. Latino filmmakers remain underrepresented in directing roles, studio leadership, and awards recognition, even as their work shapes culture across borders.

Del Toro stands apart within that landscape. His career offers proof that stories by Latinos can be expansive, complex, and commercially viable without surrendering voice or perspective. His presence challenges an industry that often treats Latino identity as niche or conditional, and his insistence on creative integrity creates space for others who have been waiting for permission that should never have been required.

Why Monsters Matter to Guillermo Del Toro

Del Toro returned to the roots of his creative language by recalling the first time he watched James Whale’s 1931 “Frankenstein,” which he described as a religious experience. Sara Karloff, daughter of Boris Karloff, the actor who embodied the original monster, attended the event as his guest.

“Sometimes the world gets so complicated, you can only explain it with the power of monsters,” he said. “We are in a time like that right now.”

The idea resonates deeply within Latino storytelling traditions, where metaphor often carries emotional truth more clearly than direct speech. Monsters in del Toro’s work exist as vessels for fear, tenderness, injustice, and care, refusing simple moral categories while insisting on empathy.

Ambition Without Illusion

Del Toro also addressed ambition with unusual honesty, rejecting the idea that scale determines value or legitimacy.

“It’s not just the size of the screens, it’s the size of the idea. Ambition includes failure – it’s right next door to success. There are no numbers on the door. You’re going to knock on that door, and it’s going to open, and it’s either a supermodel of your dreams or your mom in curlers.”

The comment drew laughter while landing a harder truth. For many creators navigating limited access and fragile support systems, ambition often carries visible risk. Del Toro placed failure within the structure of growth rather than personal inadequacy.

A Legacy Still Being Built

Del Toro received the Directing Award for his work on “Frankenstein,” released on Netflix on Oct. 17, 2025, starring Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac, and Mia Goth. Other honorees included Dwayne Johnson, recognized for Creative Impact in Acting for “The Smashing Machine,” and Teyana Taylor, honored for Creative Impact in Breakthrough Performance for “One Battle After Another.”