Actor and director Diego Luna: Cinema is a tool that should be a mirror of our community

Diego Luna, the renowned Mexican actor, and director, emphasized at the Guadalajara International Film Festival the importance of cinema as an essential tool to reflect society and tell meaningful stories. During the presentation of his biographical book, Diego Luna: La Neta es Chida pero Inalcanzable, which celebrates his 35-year career, Luna shared his reflections on cinema, theater, and television.

Luna stated that cinema should function as a mirror of our community and connect with the most complex aspects of our social life. “It’s a great tool for storytelling, and as actors, it’s our responsibility to understand what’s inside you to know what’s worth telling,” he commented.

Recalling his beginnings in television with telenovelas such as El Premio Mayor for Televisa, Luna acknowledged that this stage was crucial for his career, although he believes that his true professional growth occurred when he transcended television and delved into theater and cinema. At 19, he decided not to participate in television projects anymore, seeking a more artisanal and reflective approach to his audiovisual work.

Luna noted that television today serves as a platform for many young projects, at a time when cinema is taking fewer risks. “It’s through TV that we get to know many directors, but back then, when I participated, it tended to cloud views and become an easy life. So, figures like Alfonso Cuarón had to come into my life to help me realize that I wanted to do other types of work.”

He highlighted that the film Y Tu Mamá También marked his entry into cinema and was a turning point in his career: “Suddenly, I began to take risks, with the theatrical community and my desire to make films guiding my path.” He recalled that Cuarón, the director of this film, was part of this journey of reconnection, “to find not only my future but also his, besides a new language, because in cinematic terms it’s something different, it’s a project that responds to shaking off a past and rethinking the future.”

Luna opined that being part of the audiovisual industry has to do with who we are, “and it makes you question that, and making films that involve society is natural for me because these are things that matter to me. An example was the 1985 earthquake in Mexico, which became a wake-up call and an immediate call to care about our community. That helps you transform all your priorities and see that being useful in the lives of others makes me feel good. Cinema is a great tool for that, and it would be a waste to make films that don’t serve a purpose.”

Besides the presentation of this book, written by filmmaker Roberto Fiesco, Luna attended the premiere of the documentary Estado de Silencio, which he produces alongside Gael García, reflecting the violence against journalists.