FACTS

Canana
Canana is the name of the film production company created by Diego Luna and his friends Gael García Bernal and Pablo Cruz. (In English, a canana is a crisscross Mexican style cartridge-belt for bullets.)  Diego says,  “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. It is important for us to generate things, causing us to join with the people we are interested in.”

Ambulante
Canana is promoting a traveling documentary tour called Ambulante, which means "traveling" or "mobile" in English. Ambulante was launched in early 2006 throughout Mexico. Ambulante’s mission is to promote access to documentary film, but they also endeavor to assist with production of documentaries in Mexico, promoting filmmaking as more than simply a means of expression, presenting it as a social movement.  http://www.ambulante.com.mx/

Caffeine
Luna is co-owner of “CFNA Espresso Bar”, better known as Cafeína (Caffeine) located in Mexico City at Avenida Nuevo León N. 73, Condesa, 06140. Diego says, “It doesn’t just belong to me - it’s a business I started with several friends. I’m not sure whether it’s good or bad, but I end up sinking all my profits back into it because [when I’m in Mexico] I eat there with my friends all the time.” See photos of Cafeína here.

Criminal Record
Diego clarifies that although in Criminal he plays a thief, he has never robbed anything. He says, “The only thing I have stolen in my life are a few white socks to honor the flag. Rather than a crime, it was a patriotic act.” The way Diego tells it, “Once in Comercial Mexicana, a police officer seized me and put me in a small room. Later they showed me on a video stealing some socks. I said to him: “yes, yes, I took them. ”They did not do anything to me because I think I cried too much. They told me to “go home, but not to do it again.”  I was 10 years old… and since my house was very far, it was easier to steal them. Politicians say: “I did it for my people,” but they steal and never do it for the country.”

How does your father feel about your success?
“You know, he can watch horrible movies of mine, really cheesy movies, and say, 'Oh, Diego, you’re so good.' He loves everything I do, and I love everything he does. We’re not even a little critical!”

Why become an actor?
“Because my life was very boring. My dad is a set designer. He is the most important person in the world to me. He has always worked in theater and opera, and I've been close to him since I was small, because when you lose someone like my mom, you are afraid to lose everything. I always wanted to be next to him. He introduced me in the world of performance and art.”

Do you have memories of your mom?
“Not at all. Sometimes I believe that I remember her, but when I open the album I realize that the image that I recreate is only a photo to which I, myself, put movement and sound to.”

How much did this loss affect you in your life?
“You never overcome a death. You learn to live with the malice, even though life is a road in which you go divesting people, stages, moments. It is something very difficult to understand, a small hole that is made in your heart and it hurts a lot, but is never covered. My friends say for that reason I look for a mother in every girlfriend.”

Football (soccer)
“I am a Pumas fanatic. I hate Ámerica [Club America, a Mexico City soccer team] because it’s a team that, with so much money for the payroll, never manages to play Boca Juniors or Real Madrid. I play in a local league. The times I’m in Mexico I love going to play a friendly football match.”

What do you think it is about you that women find sexy?
“Oh, it’s such a nice thing. I wish I knew . My father says it’s because I’m a very charming guy [laughs]. I don’t know. I don’t get that much attention. It takes me a while to get close to the girls I like. I don’t use this [job] to get closer to those girls- the gym is better.”