Ocean Drive México
April 2006
 

Only Diego Knows It

 
The attractive Diego Luna, who has been yearned for by thousands around the world, has a new movie; Sólo Dios sabe (Only God Knows). Being born in the artistic way is not everything. It’s necessary to work hard if one wants to succeed in Mexican cinema. Of that, Diego Luna is conscious, who much in spite of the opportunities that he has had in Hollywood, now returns to his country along with Gael García to create and promote a production company of cinema, television and theatre with the name of Canana.

He is already an internationally recognized actor. He is equally a promoter of documentaries and a big fan of football (soccer). Recently with director Carlos Bolado, Diego Luna assumed the challenge of acting and facing the titanic work that involves producing a movie. Not only adventure unites him for the admiration of his director, but equally to a special brotherhood characteristic of those that are orphans. A synchrony of events and situations travel in a parallel way in his life and coincide with the launching of Only God Knows. After staying exactly four hours in a editing room, Diego comes out to talk in an exclusive interview for Ocean Drive México.

-     Lately you have been very active with the projects of your production company Canana. How did you decide to create Canana and what type of profile is it that you are looking for as projects?

 Diego: Canana is a company that is going to make cinema, theatre and television. The idea is that the origins of the projects happen in Mexico, in Latin America. That does not mean that everything is going to develop here. Everything arose with the intention to generate our own projects and to not live eternally waiting for the call that a project arose already and that they are thinking about you. It is important for us to generate things, causing people to join, trying to join with the people that we are interested in. To have a center some how. The cut is all those projects that we are interested in, all those that are organized, of the people that we admire… this is the most important thing. To work with people that one admires, one respects, and to believe that Canana is one more chance to live in Mexico and Latin America.

-     You mentioned to me that you created Canana so as not to depend on that call for a project. Even Diego Luna sees obtaining good roles complicated? Anyone would think that after working in Hollywood, even though it is a couple of projects, there are much greater growth possibilities than in an "industry" like the Mexican one …
 

 Diego: I am not sure that there is more opportunity to grow as an actor outside of Mexico. Here, in spite of the few opportunities that exist, there is also a very special freedom to do things. There are no bosses and in every project you can explore where to go. In my case it has been very pleasant to see that the public here is waiting for what you do and asking for different projects that they identify with.

-     You are a son of the big art director Alejandro Luna. Many people will think that practically being born in the scenes, your career as actor is easier. What do you think about this?

D: I do not believe that it’s easier or more difficult for anybody. After all, the most difficult battle is always with oneself. What undoubtedly has been a big advantage in my case is that from very little I have known what I want to do, clearly, and completely influenced by the work of my father.

-     You have had opportunity to work with great actors from Robert Duvall, Maribel Verdú, Gabriel Retes, Damián Alcázar, Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Danny Huston. What have you learned from them? 

Diego: Worldwide it is possible to learn something, good or bad things, but not just one project exists in which it’s possible to extract something positive that helps you to grow. It will always be an honor for me, the power to share the stage or a film project with the people you mention. But there are also many actors, perhaps with a lower profile or less success, that I have learned very much from. In many occasions they have been older actors who have inspired me to go forward, and in these cases they are how you understand what length the career of an actor can be and the quantity of challenges which you can face throughout your professional life. On having met people as whom you mention, I have discovered the big difference that exists between those that are actors and those that are only stars and are there for fame. Actors are those that grow mistakes and are never afraid of risk, they live for it.

-          Now that Sólo Dios sabe was released at Sundance, how did the opportunity to work along side Carlos Bolado happen? He did the movie thinking about you as a protagonist, for a very special communion being both orphaned by your mothers …

Diego: We have our personal histories and in our personal histories there are many coincidences. One day in a long, long conversation to the heat of a few tequilas we realized that. We realized that we coincide in many things and we were mutually astonished. This was the beginning of everything. Somehow the lives of everyone are very similar. We all live through loss and death closely until it touches us... it is the way that you can live through it more closely. We all have an experience on this matter. Nevertheless, it was very nice to talk about this orphans' brotherhood that he speaks of in Sólo Dios sabe and that was something that left me spinning. A few years later I received a call, not even from him, this dude never spoke to me. Gisele called me, the producer, telling me that Carlos was writing a movie, that we should make it together. I told him that with great pleasure, but what was it about?... that it was important to know what the story was going to be. But it was very easy to tell him yes because I tell you, I admire his work and because Bajo California: El límite del tiempo and Promises are movies that in addition to enjoying very much, remained in my head for a long, long time. I told him yes, directly, that I was delighted and would love reading something. And soon after we met by telephone. An incredible partnership happened, because I somehow got directly to the project. I got to co-produce inclusively with them and it was very exciting from beginning to end. We had many difficulties throughout the filming. The thing is that when you are an actor the problems generally explode when you are in your room. And here I was not only an actor, when I arrived to my room the “other side of the coin” began. It was very difficult. I do not recommend it to anybody, producing and acting in the same project. For some reason as an actor they protect you so much, so that when they put the camera in front of you, the production problems are not evident in your eyes. Well, it was also a very cool experience and I am very grateful for having so thoroughly been a part of this project. Because it also taught me a lot about what we do; many things that one does not realize are happening.

-     You commented that something had stayed present in you when seeing his films. What was it that stayed?

Diego: His way of narrating. Bajo California: El límite del tiempo is a very simple story that keeps you trapped, a personal trip with one that is very easy to identify with. He has a very organic way of telling his stories and always with a very personal stamp, in addition to being a great editor.

-    Carlos Bolado says that his movies have several layers, that transmit different messages, some more visible than others. Which of all these layers is the one that you were interested in in Sólo Dios sabe?

Diego: The story of the search by which the characters travel, the debate that opens on faith and religion, and the marvel it must be to give life to a being.

-    Of the topics of Sólo Dios sabe, destiny, coincidences, religiousness. Which do you feel the most near?

Diego: The story of these orphans. My character has a phrase that comes to me and the fact is that he questions this feeling that many share that everything you want, what belongs to you, they are going to take from you.

-    There are other important topics in the movie like the relationship of the couple, the distance, and the reunion. Do you believe that there is the need to drift apart to be able to find what you really want?

Diego: Sometimes, yes, we need to run away from where we are to realize that we had everything there, right in front of you. The movie also talks about how difficult it is to give up or to want to ignore where we come from and who we are.

-     You were telling me that you began as producer in Sólo Dios sabe, you were saying that the experience was hard …

Diego: Yes, the truth is very hard. I value the work of producers much more now and the acid in which they live. Producing in our country is also not an easy thing. There are moments where it seems that everything is to your disadvantage and all about manners when the actor approaches you to complain that there is no air conditioning in his camper, it is necessary to answer with good face.

-     Much of the work of acting that you realized is "internal". How do you prepare yourself to construct these kinds of roles?

Diego: It is necessary to delve into your innermost thoughts and then to have the sufficient coolness to see them from the outside in a more objective plane. That and to be very curious and observant, in addition to paying much attention to the director, as always.

-     When you are in other parts of the world filming, on occasions removed from Mexico for several months, what comes to your mind first?

Diego: The great thing that I want and I depend on the people that love me. That and the food, really, eh? How admirable the seafood is when it is hot and some chilaquiles(tortilla fried in thick chili or green tomato). When you get up early!

-     Is there any story that has marked you in your career?
 

 Diego: There are many. Every movie is an intense journey of work, but also personnel and of relationships, where you have a family that accompanies and shares everything with you. In the promotional tour of Y tu mamá también we lived everything. We saw how little by little there was more interest in our work and we realized the little or nothing that they knew about Mexico and what is done here. At first they were interviews where the reporters did not even look you in the eyes when you were speaking. It was obvious that they wanted to be any other place and not talking about movies in Spanish, and in their opinion, slightly commercial.

-     It is almost impossible to imagine Diego Luna without Gael García Bernal, Chema Yazpik, Jesús Ochoa. From where is such a strong friendship born?

Diego: One in his way is meeting many people and choosing who you want to have close, reinforcing your family… imagine how nice to have the chance to choose your family, wonderful!
 

-     Many people think that after acting in movies by Spielberg or Cuarón, the career of a good actor could be easy. What is the reality? How much interest is there in staying in the scheme of Hollywood?

Diego: My only interest is to make good movies and Hollywood does less and less: but yes, there is an independent movement in the United States which interests me very much to work in.

-     I know you are putting together a documentary on Julio Céasar Chávez. It calls my attention that you were interested in directing a documentary first.

Diego: Yes, I believe that the documentary is a great way to find your own voice as a director. I will have much more to say on this matter soon. For the moment, the cake is in the oven.

-     It is curious, lately there is an actors' wave that is streamlined to the direction of cinema. Why are you interested in this facet?

Diego: More than anything because I like telling stories and I like cinema a lot.

-     Do you like seeing the movies where you have taken part? Or are you one of those actors who does not like seeing their work and who only sees it the day of the premiere?

Diego: I like seeing it and criticizing it. I believe that it is the only way of growing. In fact, I hate to go to the premieres if I have not seen it before. I have to prepare myself and digest the result of what we did.

-     Nobody can deny that so often you, like Gael, have had opportunities that have taken you to an international recognition. To what do you aspire in the near future, what is your next goal?

Diego: To fall in love and have more time to be with my friends. Only that, for the moment.