Actor, producer and director Diego Luna will direct Ceniza en la boca (A Mouthful of Ash), a film adaptation of Brenda Navarro’s novel of the same name, Variety reports today.

The story follows Lucila, a 21-year-old young woman trying to find her place in the world while facing family pressure, misogyny and racism. Together with her younger brother, Diego, she travels to Spain to reunite with their mother, Isabel, who emigrated eight years earlier in search of a better future. Lucila’s arrival is anything but peaceful. The challenges she faces daily constantly remind her of her origins, for better or worse. This burden awakens in Lucila the need to emancipate herself, to live a life befitting her age, to stop being a surrogate mother to her brother, and to escape poorly paid jobs.

She soon realizes that reality cannot be molded to her will. Her attempts to take control of her life are repeatedly thwarted until she understands that she must confront the pain within her to become the woman she has always wanted to be.

The role of Lucila will be played by Anna Díaz (La Cocina, Un cuento de pescadores), and Adriana Paz (La Tirisia, Hilda, Emilia Pérez) will play Isabel.

The film is written by Abia Castillo, Diego Rabasa and Luna, and is produced by Inna Payán, Valerie Delpierre, Diego Rabasa, Luis Salinas and Luna. “Ceniza en la boca” is a co-production between Mexico and Spain, produced by La Corriente del Golfo, Animal de Luz, Inicia Films, Perro Azul and EFD Studios.