Ashes, also known as A Mouthful of Ash is one of those movies that stays with you, It makes you think about life about family and about the sacrifices people make to survive, many of us believe that travelling abroad will solve all our problems... this movie shows that leaving your country does not automatically mean life will become easier, it’s not the end of hardship, it is often a new kind of hardship.
The movie is directed by Diego Luna, Is based on the novel Ceniza en la boca by Brenda Navarro, it stars Anna Díaz as Lucila, Adriana Paz as Isabel and Sergio Bautista as Diego, the story follows a woman who moves from Mexico to Spain with her younger brother to reunite with their mother, who left them eight years earlier to seek a better life.
The story begins with Isabel leaving Mexico for Spain leaving her daughter Lucila to take care of her younger brother, Imagine being a child yourself and suddenly having to take on responsibilities that should belong to an adult, that is the kind of situation Lucila grows up in.. It shapes her view of family and the world around her.
Years later Lucila, 21 travels with Diego to Madrid to reunite with their mother, they probably expect that being together again will give them a start a chance to finally enjoy the family life they have missed...things do not turn out as beautifully as they imagined.
Their mother has spent years working in Spain under circumstances trying to support the family, when the children arrive they discover that life there is not easy either, instead of finding comfort and stability Lucila faces financial struggles, poorly paid jobs, discrimination and the pressure of taking care of Diego.
One thing I find interesting about Lucilas character is that she is still a young woman who wants to live her own life, she wants to make friends enjoy herself explore relationships and discover who she really is, somehow she keeps finding herself in the position of being responsible for everyone else.
She takes on jobs, working as a nanny delivering food anything to keep things going, meanwhile Diego is struggling with his problems and finding it hard to adjust to their new environment, Their relationship becomes complicated because Lucila is trying to be his sister while also acting like his mother.
Eventually Lucila begins to feel that she needs some space for herself, she moves to Barcelona hoping to find a freedom and build a life that belongs to her, for a moment it seems like she might finally get the chance to experience the kind of independence she has always wanted, she makes connections and even starts a relationship, the financial pressure and emotional struggles do not simply disappear just because she has changed cities.
What makes this story emotional is that Lucila is not necessarily asking for much, she just wants to live her life without carrying responsibilities that have followed her since childhood, she wants to rest, she wants to grow....she wants to breathe...
Overall Ashes is an thoughtprovoking drama about migration, family separation, racism and the cost of growing up too quickly,i think its strongest message is that sometimes people leave home looking for a future only to discover that survival can be difficult wherever they go.
For me Lucilas story is a reminder that young people also deserve the chance to live for themselves not just struggle for everybody around them, because honestly how long can someone keep being strong for everyone, without getting the chance to breathe?
Rating: 70/100
