Story perspectives

Diego Luna's “Ashes” Debuts at Cannes; Diaz Shines

5/15/2026

Summary

Diego Luna Premieres

Diego Luna premiered Ashes, adapting Brenda Navarro’s novel Ceniza en la boca, in Cannes, France.
Anna Diaz plays Lucila, a Mexican who moves to Madrid to reunite with mother Adriana Paz and works as a nanny and delivery driver.
Critics say the film jumps a decade after the siblings are abandoned, leaving emotional foundations under-developed.
They also praise Diaz’s performance for conveying exuberance, aggression, sensuality and grief despite structural flaws.

Summary

Diego Luna Casts

Diego Luna said a test scene sealed Anna Díaz and Adriana Paz as the mother-daughter duo.
He recalled his work with Paz on Rudo y Cursi, which helped assess her strengths.
The casting director chose Díaz after seeing her in La Cocina (2024), prompting a shortlist of hundreds.
Luna said independent cinema now prizes vision over scale, a drive that guides both massive works like Andor and his smaller films.

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Diego Luna Premieres

Diego Luna premiered Ashes, adapting Brenda Navarro’s novel Ceniza en la boca, in Cannes, France.
Anna Diaz plays Lucila, a Mexican who moves to Madrid to reunite with mother Adriana Paz and works as a nanny and delivery driver.
Critics say the film jumps a decade after the siblings are abandoned, leaving emotional foundations under-developed.
They also praise Diaz’s performance for conveying exuberance, aggression, sensuality and grief despite structural flaws.

1 / 2