Life is not easy for the marginalized; that is, until they are embraced with compassion. In his film El Ladrón de Perros, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, director Vinko Tomičić deeply explores themes of desperation, hunger for love, and the longing for belonging.

Thirteen-year-old Martín is an orphan who grew up on the streets, working as a shoe shiner. Living with the dream of finding his father, he begins to suspect that Mr. Novoa, one of his best customers, might be his dad. However, Mr. Novoa, a solitary tailor, shares his strongest emotional bond with Astor, a German shepherd he loves like a son. For now, that is...

The director notes that while making the film, he initially sought a powerful symbol to hold everything together, believing that once he found it, the other elements would naturally fall into place. He considers the profession of shoe shining to carry a significant symbolic meaning, both as an image and an action. Salinas reveals that this topic has captured his attention since childhood and that his curiosity ultimately led him to La Paz. One distinctive feature of the shoe shiners in La Paz is the masks they wear while working, known as 'Balaclavas.' This mask has become a symbol due to its historical and social significance, serving as a metaphor for Martín’s quest for identity in the film.

By presenting Martín's life from various perspectives, Salinas invites the audience to reflect on the immense sacrifices a child searching for his father might make.