Before he became a film director, González Iñárritu tried his hand at other careers. After being kicked out of school at age 16, González Iñárritu became a commercial sailor, an experience that encouraged him to expand his formal education. While in college, González Iñárritu landed a job as a disc jockey at WFM, Mexico’s No. 1 radio station, where he entertained millions with a daily three-hour program, an experience he credits as being prime training for storytelling. Then he got a chance to work in advertising, first as a writer then director of television commercials. Though ultimately unsatisfied with the superficial nature of a thirty- or sixty-second ad, González Iñárritu confessed that commercials did help him learn how to tell a story quickly.

González Iñárritu then introduced himself to novelist Guillermo Arriaga, author of “Un Dolce Olor a Muerte” (a.k.a. “A Sweet Scent of Death”) and the two quickly struck a solid working friendship. The creative team originally intended to make 11 short films that underscored what they saw to be the contradictory nature of Mexico City. Instead, they decided to focus on three and expanded them to feature length. After 36 drafts of the screenplay, González Iñárritu was ready to shoot “Amores Perros.” The three interconnected stories about the different strata of life in Mexico City all resolve with a fatal car accident: Octavio is trying to raise enough money to run away with his sister-in-law, and decides to enter his dog Cofi into the world of dog fighting. After a fight goes bad, Octavio flees in his car, running a red light and causing the accident. Daniel and Valeria's new-found bliss is prematurely ended when she loses her leg in the accident, and El Chiro an ex-revolutionary turned homeless man, witnesses the collision and carries off Octavio’s injured dog. As El Chiro rejuvenates the dog, he finds himself with renewed hope of reuniting with his estranged daughter. The film won countless awards all over the world, including a 2001 BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language, as well as 13 awards at the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences’ Silver Ariel Awards. “Amores Perros” was also nominated for a Best Foreign Language Oscar, but lost out to “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000).

In 2001, González Iñárritu was one of several A-list directors to sign on with BMW to direct several short-films that really were long commercials for the company’s vehicles. González Iñárritu directed “Powder Keg” (2001), starring Clive Owen as a driver who must transport a photojournalist carrying a highly important photograph that will be certain to unite a world against its leader. González Iñárritu’s next project was another short-film collaboration: this time he was one of 11 directors who made shorts about the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, called “11’09’01” (2002). Though the directors had complete artistic freedom, they were asked to observe a strict format: each film had to be 11 minutes, 9 seconds and 1 frame. For his episode, González Iñárritu started with a black screen as the sound of screaming voices and heavy thuds was heard. The image faded in to reveal people jumping from the towers. As one of the least politically charged of the shorts, González Iñárritu showed the chaos, confusion and humanity of that tragic day.

González Iñárritu then went on to direct his next feature, “21 Grams” (2003), starring Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro and Naomi Watts. Once again, González Iñárritu used a tragic event to bring three stories together. After an accident brings the characters together, the three learn how to have faith and hope in the future despite their own mortality. The film was shown at several festivals, including Toronto, Montreal and London. González Iñárritu avoided the dreaded sophomore slump, as he once again received critical acclaim for his work. González Iñárritu increased the level of ambition for his next film, “Babel” (2006), a heartbreaking examination of confusion, fear and the depths of love. Set on different continents—Asia, Africa and North America—“Babel” told three separate stories brought together by a single random act of violence when a woman (Cate Blanchett) traveling with her husband (Brad Pitt) is seriously wounded by a random bullet fired by two Moroccan boys (Said Tarchani and Boubker Ait El Caid). Woven into the narrative are the couple’s Mexican housekeeper (Adriana Barraza) trying to cross the border with the help of her drunken nephew (Gael Garcia Bernal) and a deaf and emotionally neglected Japanese girl (Rinko Kikuchi) scouring Japan for love in the wrong places—all of which culminates into tense emotions brought about by the failure to communicate.

Both “Babel” and González Iñárritu were nominated for a slew of awards, with the film winning a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama and earning a Best Picture nod at the 79th Annual Academy Awards. The director started the season on a strong note, winning the Best Director award at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. But he was shut out at the Golden Globes by Martin Scorsese, who took Best Director honors from the Hollywood Foreign Press. González Iñárritu, however, was positioned to pull off an upset after being nominated for an Academy Award, joining Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Stephen Frears and Paul Greengrass in the Best Director category.