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Ernesto Martínez Bucio's EL DIABLO FUMA (Y GUARDA LAS CABEZAS DE LOS CERILLOS QUEMADOS EN LA MISMA CAJA) Presented at the 23rd FICM

Gabriela Martínez

As part of the 23rd Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), El diablo fuma (y guarda las cabezas de los cerillos quemados en la misma caja) by director Ernesto Martínez Bucio was presented as part of the Official Selection of Mexican Feature Films.

The press conference was attended by the film's cast, including Regina Alejandra, Laura Uribe Rojas, Maripau Bravo, Rafael Nieto, Donovan Said, and Carmen Ramos; co-writer Karen Plata; producer Carlos Hernández Vázquez; and director Ernesto Martínez Bucio. 

El diablo fuma (y guarda las cabezas de los cerillos quemados en la misma caja) follows the story of five siblings abandoned by their parents. Their fears mirror those of their grandmother, and they inhabit the boundaries between reality and imagination in an attempt to stay together.

The director remembers always hearing that working with children was the most difficult thing to do, and that during his professional exam at the Film Training Center (CCC), director Alonso Ruizpalacios said he should place himself in uncomfortable situations. “I said, 'Well, I'm going to work with three or five children to see how uncomfortable it can get.' And it turned out to be wonderful. It's not difficult. It involves pouring a lot of energy into it because they have a lot of energy, they demand a lot of attention, and they are very alert. They have a lot of questions and you have to answer them. We shouldn't underestimate their intellectual and emotional capacity; we should take advantage of it,” he said. 

For her part, actress Carmen Ruiz, who plays the children's schizophrenic grandmother, said that her preparation process involves having a routine, since it is what allows her to be emotionally present, to feel, and to be sensitized. “Creating a bond was very important for me, and of all the acting experiences I’ve had with children, this has been the toughest, because they threw me into the deep end as an actress and I had to hold on to them.”

The young actors talked about their casting and filming processes and agreed that it was a fun and very good experience. “Working with this team, with these people, was a very nice experience because they treated us very well from the start, from the casting, and they continued to do so. We really made a very nice connection. We all connected from the beginning,” said Regina Alejandra. 

Regarding the film's title, the director shared that the idea came from some poetry exercises by co-writer Karen Plata: "I came across a poem that had this line that said, ‘The devil smokes and keeps the heads of burnt rings in the same box,’ and it caught my attention. I liked it. It was a very powerful image. I said to her, ‘Hey, I think we can use this as the title of the film.’ At that point, the devil didn't exist; it had nothing to do with the script, and we started using it. Once we integrated it, it began to creep into its soul, and the devil began to round out the film, giving the screenplay more shape,” he added.