The team of the Mexican movie ‘Luto’ joined for a candid media interaction on the sidelines of the 54th IFFI, in Goa today. Luto had its world premiere at the 54th IFFI under the Docu-montage category yesterday. The panel comprised Director Andres Arochi Tinajero, Producer Santiago Tron, Actress Daniella Valdez, and Actor Rodrigo Azuela.

The 110-minute-long movie, screened in Spanish, delves into grief, portrayed through the Mexican landscape, of how people experience and go through the various stages of grief, cutting across beliefs, classes, and religions.

The Director sharing the inspiration behind the movie stated that he wanted to create a film from his heart, with all his vulnerabilities. “I have never been afraid of people dying but I’ve always been afraid of my people dying, of going through grief. And for me this movie is about this investigation on dealing with the grief”, added Andres.

Rodrigo emphasized that dealing with grief is very difficult. “It is more about carrying on with the pain with dignity and appreciation. Grief is the price you pay for love and love is absolutely worth it”, shared the actor. 

The Director further illuminated the role of rituals in coping with grief. “Be it lighting a candle, visiting your hometown, praying or cooking your favorite food, which is important. In their heart, everyone knows what to do and they need to confront their fears to do that. And that’s the power of grief, dealing with everything that is untouched”, he added.

Daniella sharing her personal experiences said that, “I allow myself to go through the emotions, to feel sad and empty. It is hard, but the team helps me to get back the energy”.

Talking of grief on losing someone to death, Producer Santiago mentioned the ‘Day of the Dead’ which is celebrated across Mexico. ‘Day of the Dead’ is a Mexican tradition of family reunions where the dead ancestors are the guests of honour. It is the day to remember the deceased loved ones and celebrate their memory.

Andres elaborating further on this stated that, “Every part of the country celebrates this day very differently. A big part of this beautiful day is the crossover of Mayan culture and Spanish Catholicism. In Mayan culture, there is life after death. And Mexico has both these elements. Every year you get to remember the dead people and how much you miss them”.

Talking of his experiences traveling across Mexico for filming, the Director remarked that both India and Mexico are very similar in how people are welcoming of strangers, and candidly share their experiences with one another.