Director Dominga Sotomayor premiered her latest film, "La Perra," at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2026 [1].

The film marks a significant step in Sotomayor's career as she explores the intersection of trauma and healing through a focused narrative. By debuting at one of the world's most prestigious festivals, the project reinforces her standing in international cinema.

Set on a remote Chilean island, the drama tells an unsentimental story centered on a woman and her dog [1]. The production features actor Selton Mello in the lead male role [2]. Sotomayor delivers a story that remains elegant while navigating difficult emotional terrain, critics said [3].

This project is Sotomayor's fourth feature film [4]. It also represents her first adaptation of a literary work [2]. During the festival, the director spoke about the specific choices made regarding the film's identity and presentation.

Sotomayor decided against translating the title into English. She said, "I didn’t want to translate the title because it would lead to a violent judgment of women" [2]. This decision reflects a desire to protect the narrative's intent from external misconceptions.

Regarding the creative process, Sotomayor said the film feels "spontaneous and liberating" [5]. The director used the remote setting to emphasize the isolation and internal struggle of the characters.

Critics have noted that the film shores up Sotomayor's reputation for precision and emotional depth [3]. The story avoids sentimentality, focusing instead on the raw process of recovery on the island's shores [1].

“"I didn’t want to translate the title because it would lead to a violent judgment of women."”

The premiere of 'La Perra' signals a shift in Sotomayor's filmography toward literary adaptation and a more explicit engagement with the politics of language and gender. By refusing to translate the title, Sotomayor asserts creative control over how her female characters are perceived by global audiences, challenging the potential for linguistic biases to overshadow the story's themes of recovery.