Actor, producer and director Diego Luna will direct “Ceniza en la boca” (“A Mouthful of Ash”), a film adaptation of Brenda Navarro’s novel of the same name.
The story follows Lucila, a 21-year-old young woman trying to find her place in the world while facing family pressure, misogyny and racism. Together with her younger brother, Diego, she travels to Spain to reunite with their mother, Isabel, who emigrated eight years earlier in search of a better future. Lucila’s arrival is anything but peaceful. The challenges she faces daily constantly remind her of her origins, for better or worse. This burden awakens in Lucila the need to emancipate herself, to live a life befitting her age, to stop being a surrogate mother to her brother, and to escape poorly paid jobs.
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She soon realizes that reality cannot be molded to her will. Her attempts to take control of her life are repeatedly thwarted until she understands that she must confront the pain within her to become the woman she has always wanted to be.
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Navarro has been awarded the Madrid Booksellers’ Prize and the Otras Voces, Otras Miradas Prize in Ibero-America. Additionally, she was a finalist for the Rómulo Gallegos International Novel Prize.
“Ceniza en la boca” marks Luna’s fourth fiction feature as a director. His previous films, “J.C. Chávez” (2007), “Abel” (2010), “César Chávez” (2014) and “Mr. Pig” (2016), have been showcased at film festivals including Cannes, Sundance, Berlin, Venice, San Sebastián and Morelia.
“It has never been more relevant to talk about migration,” Luna says of the project. “I am very excited to be able to tell this story. We have been working for three years to reach this moment, and I feel very fortunate to collaborate with this team — diverse and enriching voices who are here for the right reasons.”
The role of Lucila will be played by Anna Díaz, a Mexican actress who has appeared in films such as “La Cocina” (2024) by Alonso Ruizpalacios, which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival, and “Un cuento de pescadores” (2024), which premiered at the Morelia Film Festival. Meanwhile, the role of Isabel will be played by Mexican actress Adriana Paz, whose work has earned her accolades such as the Ariel Award for Best Actress for “La Tirisia” (2014) and Best Supporting Actress for “Hilda” (2014). In 2024, she was also awarded Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in “Emilia Pérez,” sharing the honor with her co-stars.
The film is written by Abia Castillo, Diego Rabasa and Luna, and is produced by Inna Payán, Valerie Delpierre, Diego Rabasa, Luis Salinas and Luna. “Ceniza en la boca” is a co-production between Mexico and Spain, produced by La Corriente del Golfo, Animal de Luz, Inicia Films, Perro Azul and EFD Studios.
“I found in Diego’s vision an opportunity to build a community to reflect on and showcase an essential and intimate migration experience that, far from being a dream, is brutal due to discrimination, impoverishment, injustice, and the loss of identity,” said Payán, producer at Animal de Luz.
“Diego Luna’s approach blends poetry and brutality, offering a cinematic perspective that perfectly captures the essence of the book,” added Delpierre, producer at Inicia Films.
Filming for “Ceniza en la boca” will begin in February and will take place in Madrid, Barcelona and Mexico City.
