Diego Luna Reflects on Grief and Immigration in ‘Ashes’: Exploring the Meaning of Loss

Title: ASHES (Ceniza en la Boca)
Section: Special Screenings
Director: Diego Luna
Screenwriter: Diego Luna, Abia Castillo, Diego Rabasa
Sales agent: Luxbox
Logline: Lucila leaves Mexico with her younger brother to reunite with their mother in Madrid, who had left a few years earlier to pursue a better future. Upon their arrival, Lucila is confronted with a harsh reality that exceeds her expectations. Despite the challenges, she resolves to navigate this fragile new life.
Panelists: Diego Luna, Anna Díaz, Adriana Paz.
Key quotes: “I lost my mother when I was two, so I had to explain my whole life why I had to live with an absence that apparently was crucial for others, you know? And in every story I go to, I end up caring or watching from that perspective. For me it was a beautiful way to talk about migration. When we talk about people migrating, we tend to miss the most important part – what happens when they migrate, what have they gone through, but not in terms of what makes you escape. How does that affect your life? The simple things of your relation with your brother, your mother, your hometown, your friends. What does that mean to lose everything?” – Diego Luna.