Dominga Sotomayor Talks ‘Meta’ Element of Casting Selton Mello in Tender Drama ‘La Perra,’ Not Translating the Title to Avoid ‘Violent’ Judgment of Women

Rafa Sales Ross· May 17, 2026 · 5:33 AM UTC ·6 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 33 views

#film #cannes #motherhood #adaptation #chilean cinema

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Dominga Sotomayor's film 'La Perra,' premiering at Directors' Fortnight in Cannes, explores motherhood and trauma through a woman's bond with a stray dog. The film, based on Pilar Quintana's book, stars Manuela Oyarzún and features Selton Mello in a 'meta' casting choice. Sotomayor chose not to translate the title to avoid the negative connotations associated with calling women 'bitches' in English.

Key facts

▪'La Perra' is Dominga Sotomayor's first adaptation, based on Pilar Quintana's book and produced by Chile’s Planta and Brazil’s RT Features.
▪The film stars Manuela Oyarzún as a woman whose repressed trauma resurfaces after adopting a stray dog named Yuri.
▪Sotomayor changed the setting from the Colombian jungle to a remote Chilean island and kept the original Spanish title to prevent a 'violent' judgment of women.
▪Selton Mello's casting adds a 'meta' layer to the film, marking his first time attending Cannes.
▪The director was drawn to the story's unromanticized portrayal of human-animal relationships and themes of domestication and control.

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Original publisher	Variety
Canonical URL	https://variety.com/2026/film/global/dominga-sotomayor-selton-mello-la-perra-cannes-1236750634/
Publication time	Sun, 17 May 2026 05:33:40 +0000
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Home Film Global May 16, 2026 10:33pm PT Dominga Sotomayor Talks ‘Meta’ Element of Casting Selton Mello in Tender Drama ‘La Perra,’ Not Translating the Title to Avoid ‘Violent’ Judgment of Women Sotomayor's latest film, world premiering at Directors' Fortnight, explores themes of motherhood and trauma through a woman's relationship with her dog By Rafa Sales Ross Plus Icon Rafa Sales Ross Guest Contributor Latest Selton Mello on Continuous ‘I’m Still Here’ Momentum, Attending Cannes for the First Time With ‘La Perra’ and Playing Twins Alongside Starry Cast in ‘Zero K’ 18 hours ago Costa Rica Ramps Up Production as Local Filmmakers Expand Globally and Media Investment Grows 2 days ago Costa Rica Scales New Heights With Cannes-Selected Filmmaker Valentina Maurel and ‘Forever Your Maternal…

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