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.”
Diego’s Dad
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.”
Diego’s Mom
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.”
The
Ladies
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.”
The
Future
“I want
to travel to places that I don’t know and do cinema
in countries like Argentina and Spain. I would like
to work with the Cohen brothers. It thrills me to
think that in 10 years I am going to be able to work
with directors and scriptwriters who are still in
film school now.”