– CANNES 2026: Diego Luna’s fourth film is a raw and compassionate immigration drama following a young girl’s fractured family journey between Mexico and Spain
Anna Díaz in Ashes
Ashes has been presented in Cannes’ Special Screenings section and constitutes Mexican star Diego Luna’s fourth effort behind the camera. The film tells the story of a young woman, Lucila (Anna Díaz), who is left behind in Mexico by her mother, Isabel (Adriana Paz), while seeking her fortune in Spain. What’s more, her brother Diego (Sergio Bautista) is left there with her. After several years, the family reunites in Madrid. The pair of siblings have different approaches when it comes to their new life, with Diego struggling and Lucila trying to make the most of her existence, considering the circumstances.
The film, which is based on Brenda Navarro’s 2022 novel, then follows Lucila to Barcelona, where she moves after being convinced to do so by her friend Jimena (Laura Gómez). There, as in the Spanish capital, she juggles different jobs while trying to hide them from her gringo boyfriend. While away from her mother and brother, she is engrossed in building a life for herself, there on her own, but a sudden event brings her back to Mexico, where she sees through adult eyes the life that her mum had tried to save her from.
Ashes’ strength lies in its strong theme, which touches deeply on the topic of immigration and the difficulty of maintaining healthy family ties, without ever resorting to easy tearjerking strategies. The circular narrative that starts and ends in Mexico lets the story breathe, while also allowing the audience to gain a full understanding of the parallel life that Lucila may have been living if her mum hadn’t made the decision to move – a choice for which the young girl resents her. Having had to look after her little brother on her own made Lucila stronger and much more responsible, which can be seen in the way she treats the child she tends to as a babysitter.
The screenplay, written by Luna together with Diego Rabasa, works primarily through subtraction, but this is not always effective. It shows, rather than tells, but in certain parts, it proceeds in fits and starts. Nonetheless, it may feel too distant or approximate at times: we don’t know much about any of the characters surrounding Lucila, in particular her family, as most of the movie is spent in silence or lingering on Anna Díaz’s expressions. The 29-year-old is, in fact, the true revelation of the film. Where the screenplay or the direction loses a little of its power, Díaz’s genuine acting saves the day, with the feature very often feeling close to a documentary.
Damián García’s cinematography is very rigorous and formal, which adds to the documentary-like approach. Luna offers the polar opposite of a stereotypically colourful and joyful depiction of Spain and Mexico: there’s no romance here, and this is the reality for many. In this sense, the rawness and underlying sadness of the film are its best qualities. It is indeed a work with a few imperfections, but also one with genuine heart, and with something loud and clear to say. At the end of the day, it is effortlessly moving: Lucila’s desperate attempt to be happy with what she has been given reflects the story of millions of other people in the same circumstances.
Ashes is a Mexican-Spanish production staged by La corriente del golfo, Animal de luz films, Inicia Films and Perro Azul. Luxbox is handling its international sales.
