Ashes

Diego Luna has made a powerful immigrant story, elevated by strong performances.

Lucila travels from Mexico with her younger brother to reunite with their mother, who moved to Madrid a few years earlier in hopes of finding a better life. When they arrive in Spain, they are met with a reality very different from what they imagined. Life in Madrid is suffocating and brutal. Still, Lucila is determined to make the most of their new life.

Director Diego Luna is best known as an actor, from his breakthrough film Y tu mamá también to the blockbuster Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the series Andor. Here, he has directed a powerful immigrant story, featuring a fantastic central performance by Anna Diaz as Lucila.