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Diego Luna's CENIZA EN LA BOCA Premieres at the 24th FICM

Brisa Naomi Rojas Laguna

The 24th Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) had a memorable day hosting one of the most anticipated screenings of the festival: Ceniza en la boca, directed by actor Diego Luna. The film is one of the entries in competition in the Mexican Feature Film section.

At a press conference attended by actors Adriana Paz, Anna Díaz, and Sergio Bautista, the filmmaker began by expressing his deep gratitude to the festival.

Luna spoke about the special connection he shares with FICM, adding that the film’s screenplay is adapted from the novel of the same name by Mexican author Brenda Navarro, whom he thanked for allowing her work to be brought to the screen.

Diego Luna

Ceniza en la boca tells the story of Lucila, a young woman who travels from Mexico to Madrid with her younger brother to reunite with her mother, who has been working illegally in Spain for years in search of a better future. However, upon arriving in Europe, the three are confronted with a harsh and suffocating reality marked by distance, the challenges of migration, and the difficulties of starting a new life. This is how the film addresses issues such as racism, migration, and family wounds.

The director added that, to make films, one must be willing to create projects and then let them go, allowing audiences to transform them.

Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Batel, Diego Luna

The film’s narrative intimately explores topics like loss and the constant search for a sense of belonging. In this regard, Diego Luna emphasized how the experience of migration is linked to the human need to build support networks and a sense of community in the face of the loneliness that often accompanies such displacements.

The film’s cast shared moving reflections on working as a team and creating bonds while filming. Sergio Bautista noted that there was a sense of camaraderie and respect both on and off camera, while Adriana Paz highlighted Diego Luna’s sensitivity and generosity in fostering a collaborative and meaningful work environment as director. Anna Díaz, meanwhile, talked about the importance of addressing human and community themes in this film. Lead actress Luisa Huerta praised the director’s precision and empathy in guiding their work through a close and respectful collaborative process.

Adriana Paz

Finally, the director described the exhaustive casting process, during which more than 200 profiles were reviewed. Beyond traditional auditions, the team opted to hold group activities and team-building exercises that would allow the actors and actresses to forge genuine connections and a sense of camaraderie before and during filming. 

At the end of the event, Luna urged everyone to continue engaging in future conversations and not to miss the film’s premiere, which will be in theaters across the country on November 5.