Diego Luna’s “Ashes” Debuts at Cannes

“Ashes” (Spanish *Ceniza en la Boca*) premiered at Cannes 2026. Luna’s film follows Lucila (Anna Díaz) who moves from Mexico to Madrid to reunite with her mother (Adriana Paz) and care for Diego (Sergio Bautista). It centers on immigration and family separation.

Deadline Hollywood

The film adapts Brenda Navarro’s novel *Ceniza en la Boca*. Luna, known for *Andor* and *Cesar Chávez*, said the story “approaches migration from an angle we don’t see much.” He linked the project to immigration debate and to his loss of his mother at two, calling Spain “theater” that kept his father distant.

Hollywood Reporter

Luna directs his fifth feature. Anna Díaz leads as Lucila, with Adriana Paz as the mother and Sergio Bautista as the brother. The cast totals twelve performers. Luna’s career spans franchises and independent cinema, reflecting his “independent drive.”

Variety Magazine

“Ashes” shows Mexican immigrants navigating Spain, proving a shared language does not guarantee acceptance. By depicting racism, legal hurdles and the toll of separation, the film adds a “rich, and undeniably timely” perspective to immigration discourse, moving beyond the usual U.S. focus.

Deadline Hollywood

Luna said the novel’s focus on a young woman’s distance from her parents mirrors his own early loss, and that the film’s “independent drive” reflects his aim to celebrate cinema. He also expressed “devastation” and “confusion” after abuse allegations against César Chávez, noting their impact on his view of the movement.

Hollywood Reporter

Variety praised Díaz’s performance but faulted film’s “haphazard” structure, noting scenes “skip aimlessly through time” and that emotional foundations feel “laid in reverse,” describing narrative as “And then, and then, and then…” Deadline called film “powerful and moving,” highlighting portrayal of immigrants, uniting plot strands.

Variety Magazine

• “I was devastated and very confused and very worried and sad and conflicted with the whole thing because, most importantly, of what the movement means.” — Diego Luna, Director (Hollywood Reporter)

Hollywood Reporter

• “Ashes becomes a rich, and undeniably timely, addition to film depictions of the experiences of immigrants in both heartbreaking and humane ways.” — PH, Deadline reviewer

Deadline Hollywood

• “And then, and then, and then…” — Variety reviewer (Variety)

Variety Magazine

After Cannes, “Ashes” is slated for further festival screenings and potential distribution, though no release dates have been announced. Luna’s emphasis on independent storytelling suggests the film will continue to spark dialogue on immigration policy and cultural identity.

Deadline Hollywood