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Diego Luna’s Ashes Premieres at Cannes to Positive Early Reviews

Early reviews highlight restrained direction, with Anna Díaz delivering a breakout performance.

Overview

  • The film, which premiered Wednesday in Cannes’ Special Screenings, marks Luna’s return to the director’s chair after roughly a decade.
  • Ashes adapts Brenda Navarro’s 2022 novel into a quiet portrait of two Mexican siblings who reunite with their mother in Spain and face prejudice and strain as they try to build a life.
  • Critics note a realist style with slow pacing, distant framing, sparse music, and striking sound design that favors observation over overt drama.
  • Reviewers repeatedly single out Díaz as Lucila for a nuanced turn that anchors the story and gives the film its emotional weight.
  • The MexicanSpanish production’s international sales are with Luxbox, and the film is still seeking U.S. distribution after its festival debut.