Ashes (2026 film)
2026 film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
- Abia Castillo
- Diego Rabasa
- Diego Luna
| Ashes | |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Ceniza en la boca |
| Directed by | Diego Luna |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| 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 |
The film had its world premiere at the Special Screening section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival on 13 May 2026.[2]
Plot
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
- Anna Díaz as Lucila[3][4]
- Adriana Paz as Isabel
- Teresa Lozano as Laura
- Irene Escolar[3]
Production
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.[5] Shooting in Spain wrapped after five weeks of filming, moving to Mexico.[6] Damián García worked as cinematographer.[7]
Release
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 was screened at the Coca-Cola Open Air Cinema at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival, in the Open Air section in August 2026.[11] Watermelon Pictures acquired theatrical distribution rights for North America.[12]
The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in Spain on 9 October 2026 by Avalon.[13]
Reception
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".[14]
Pete Hammond of Deadline assessed that considered Ashes as a "powerful and moving motion picture", with "strong guidance from Diego Luna".[15]
David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter lamented the "inert" film to be "pared back to the point of narrative starvation".[16]
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.[17]