Left: Luna arrives for the world premiere of the film Milk at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco.
Right: Cruz, Fortes and Luna at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival.
not losing curiosity about what’s
happening to other people. It
is the only way to survive in
a world that has fallen into a
terrible degree of individualism.
real potential for change.
AQ: Given the rise in violence
in Mexico (according to
unofficial statistics, 7,600
people were murdered in 2009
alone), what’s the best way
to improve security without
compromising human rights?
is moving and changing hands
and not only in this country. Right
now we are living the worst of it.
AQ: In 2007, witness, canana
and the cmdpdh teamed up
to bring attention to femicide
and torture in Ciudad Juarez
and Chihuahua. What other
themes of social justice
should be brought to film?
AQ: How are the human
rights challenges that your
generation faces different than
those of older generations?
Luna: The topic of impunity
is what has hurt us most.
There are many people guilty
of terrible crimes who walk
free. They continue to operate
within the government and
in the private sector. There is
an absurd tolerance toward
delinquency in Mexico. It has to
do with the judicial system, and
it’s the topic that is absorbing
me most right now. [Other
issues] include poverty and a
general lack of opportunities
and access to education, which
have demoralized our young
people. Until education becomes
a priority for the state and the
private sector, I don’t see any
Luna: Performing a frontal
attack on crime doesn’t resolve
anything. There is an absurd
level of violence due to that
lack of opportunity. Because of
unemployment, the streets are
filled with delinquents. Because of
the lack of border controls, many
weapons are entering the country.
And corruption [shows] that
money rules above all else. This is
a country where many underage
children work. That says a lot.
With few opportunities, social
resentment becomes an issue.
And that contributes to the rise
of quick and easy businesses. The
problems we face are not unique
to us. We are part of something
much bigger. There has to be a
market like the U.S. to fuel the
situation. The guns have to be
coming from somewhere. Money
Luna: They’re cyclical. Some
Colombians say that we are
currently living what they
went through some years ago.
[Yet] we are also awakening.
Mexico is a country living
a type of adolescence; it’s a
teenager. We are discovering
our own personality. Mexico is
definitely a more alert country
than it was a few years back.
AQ: How do you imagine
Mexico in 10 years? Will new
technologies help to combat
any of these problems?
Luna: Technology will definitely
help younger generations to
be more informed and more
connected. But what’s most
important is that people
want to connect, understand
and participate.
