In his native Spain, Pablo Berger is celebrated for his achievements, having won many Goya Awards, often seen as the country’s equivalent of the Oscars. Over three decades ago, however, he was simply an enthusiastic newcomer to New York City—first as a tourist and then as a M.F.A. student at N.Y.U.
When he came across Sara Varon’s 2007 graphic novel Robot Dreams, which details the adventures of a dog who builds a robot friend, Berger was captivated by Varon’s dialogue-free imagery. For his screen adaptation, now in theaters, he weaved in his own experiences: the protagonist dog resides in a 1980s era East Village much like the one from Berger’s memories.
This animated film is populated with anthropomorphized animals ranging from aerobics skunks to streetwise warthogs. Speaking via Zoom from Madrid, Berger shared insights into one early scene where Dog and Robot embark on their first city outing.
This is the first time they go for a walk, and you can see how they look at each other. For me, what is important here is that just a few days earlier our main character was lonely, and now he has made a big connection.
said Berger.
The bag of Dog, with the little anthropomorphic orange, Naranjito, that’s like the mascot of the 1982 World Cup.
remarked Berger about an Easter egg hidden within the film to celebrate Spanish culture.
Berger added some customized touches to Varon’s story too. This robot is not controlled by artificial intelligence. The way Dog makes him is with dented wheels and gears and bolts and springs, so I don’t want people to see it as a machine—I want them to see the ideal friend, the ideal life companion.
Berger fondly recalled New York from his days there: I remember going to New York and seeing so many graffitis everywhere people were tagging.
He wanted to incorporate that urban element into the visual tapestry of Robot Dreams.
The deliberate imperfections and hand-drawn charm of this animation bring authenticity and warmth to its characters who explore themes of love, loss, and enduring connection. As Berger says, Making it like this, with imperfections in it, I think really represents more humanity. And that is the only reason to make this film.
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