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Daniel Giménez Cacho Debuts JUANA at the 23rd FICM

Alan Rodríguez

Juana by Daniel Giménez Cacho premiered as part of the Mexican Feature Film Section at the 23rd Morelia International Film Festival (FICM).

Before the gala, the Mexican actor held a press conference where he was joined by screenwriter Emma Bertrán, producer Regina Solórzano, and actresses Diana Sedano and Margarita Sanz.

After nearly eight years of preparation, Daniel Giménez Cacho is presenting his directorial debut. The film revolves around gender-based violence and violence against journalists in Mexico: “It explores topics that affect all of us.”

“This film contains very important core messages. It's almost a tribute to the journalists who have been murdered for being honest. It also talks about the women who have been kidnapped and murdered,” Margarita Sanz explained. 

Juana tells the story of a solitary journalist who has repressed her trauma for over a decade. When a corrupt politician emerges as a suspect in the murders of her boyfriend and her fellow journalist, she embarks on a relentless mission looking for justice.

Diana Sedano shared about the process to coordinate a series of meetings with journalists and how important it was for her to know these stories to begin a deep work on the screenplay. “It is without a doubt the kind of character you yearn for, as an actor it's an enormous gift.”

Giménez Cacho spoke about the film's deliberate use of silence and how it mirrors the complicity surrounding the murders of journalists. “This film is in that struggle to end that complicit silence,” he added.

Emma Bertrán shared how challenging it was to write the screenplay: “There were violent moments when we were listening to the journalists […] but the writing itself was a delight, and it was very beautiful when we started working with the cast and received their interpretations of the story.”

At the end of the conference, Regina Solórzano thanked the festival for being a stepping stone for the film.