Ashes (2026 film)
| Ashes | |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Ceniza en la boca |
| Directed by | Diego Luna |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on | Ceniza en la boca byBrenda Navarro |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Damián García |
| Edited by | Sofi Escudé |
| Music by | Raquel García-Tomás |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Avalon (Spain) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 102 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | Spanish |
Ashes[1] or A Mouthful of Ash (Spanish: Ceniza en la boca) is a 2026 drama film directed by Diego Luna, co-written with Abia Castillo and Diego Rabasa, and based on the same name novel by Brenda Navarro. A Mexican-Spanish co-production, its cast is led by Anna Díaz and Adriana Paz.
The film had its world premiere at the Special Screening section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival on 13 May 2026.[2]
Plot
[edit ]21-year-old Lucila moves to Spain with her brother Diego to reunite with her mother Isabel, who settled there eight years prior.[3]
Cast
[edit ]- Anna Díaz as Lucila[3] [4]
- Adriana Paz as Isabel
- Teresa Lozano as Laura
- Irene Escolar [3]
Production
[edit ]Based on the novel Ceniza en la boca (2022) by Brenda Navarro, the screenplay was written by Diego Luna, Abia Castillo, and Diego Rabasa.[3] The film is a Mexican and Spanish co-production by La Corriente del Golfo, Animal de Luz, Inicia Films, Perro Azul, and EFD Studios.[3] Shooting locations in Madrid included the Mercado Maravillas [es ].[5] Shooting in Spain wrapped after five weeks of filming, moving to Mexico.[6] Damián García worked as cinematographer.[7]
Release
[edit ]Luxbox acquired world sales rights to the film ahead of its world premiere,[8] which took place at the 'Special Screenings' section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.[9] [1] Netflix acquired rights to select Spanish speaking territories prior to the start of the festival.[10] It will be screened at the Coca-Cola Open Air Cinema at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival, in the Open Air section in August 2026.[11]
The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in Spain on 9 October 2026 by Avalon.[12]
Reception
[edit ]Tim Grierson of ScreenDaily deemed the film to be "a compassionate, clear-eyed study of a young woman searching for a place to call home".[13]
Pete Hammond of Deadline assessed that considered Ashes as a "powerful and moving motion picture", with "strong guidance from Diego Luna".[14]
David Rooney [de ] of The Hollywood Reporter lamented the "inert" film to be "pared back to the point of narrative starvation".[15]
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 85% based on 13 reviews, with an average score of rated reviews of 7.00/10.[16]
See also
[edit ]References
[edit ]- 1 2 Shafer, Ellise; Keslassy, Elsa (22 April 2026). "Cannes Festival Adds More Films to 2026 Lineup, Including 'Victorian Psycho' Starring Maika Monroe, and Diego Luna's 'Ashes'". Variety .
- ↑ "The Screenings Guide of the 79th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 7 May 2026. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Rivera, Alfonso (17 March 2025). "Diego Luna directing his fourth fiction film, A Mouthful of Ash". Cineuropa .
- ↑ "CENIZA EN LA BOCA". Festival de Cannes (in French). Retrieved 6 May 2026.
- ↑ Naredo, Rodrigo (18 February 2025). "La vida migrante de 'Ceniza en la boca', del papel a la pantalla: el nuevo proyecto de Diego Luna como director". El País .
- ↑ "Finaliza la parte española del rodaje de la coproducción de México y España, 'Ceniza en la boca', dirigida por Diego Luna". Audiovisual451. 4 April 2025.
- ↑ "'Ceniza en la boca', la nueva película de Diego Luna, se ha rodado entre Madrid y Barcelona". Camera and Light Mag. 4 April 2025.
- ↑ Barraclough, Leo (23 April 2026). "Diego Luna's 'Ashes' Boarded by Luxbox Ahead of Premiere at Cannes in Special Screenings Section (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety .
- ↑ Vely, Yannick (22 April 2026). "Festival de Cannes 2026 : Scarlett Johansson et Adam Driver sur la Croisette dans «Paper Tiger» de James Gray". Paris Match .
- ↑ Keslassy, Elsa (12 May 2026). "Netflix Buys Diego Luna's Cannes Film 'Ashes' for Spanish-Speaking Territories, Including Latin America (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 12 May 2026.
- ↑ Lily Ford (3 August 2026). "Sarajevo Unveils Open Air Program, Including Diego Luna's 'Ashes,' 'Minotaur' and 'No Good Men'". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 3 August 2026.
- ↑ "Ceniza en la boca". Avalon (in European Spanish). Retrieved 31 May 2026.
- ↑ Grierson, Tim (13 May 2026). "'Ashes' review: Diego Luna directs a quiet exploration of the Mexican immigrant experience". ScreenDaily .
- ↑ Hammond, Pete (13 May 2026). "'Ashes' Review: Diego Luna's Moving Film Depicts The Human Price Of Immigration In A World Of Hate – Cannes Film Festival". Deadline Hollywood .
- ↑ Rooney, David (13 May 2026). "'Ashes' Review: Diego Luna's Intimate Immigrant Character Study Is Well-Intentioned but Disjointed". The Hollywood Reporter .
- ↑ "Ashes". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 16 May 2026.