Mexico City in the early 1990s, as the country eagerly awaits the impending Papal visit of John Paul I. The inhabitants of a suburban neighbourhood feel they’ve been graced by a less Christian presence, though. Romana is forced to look after her five grandchildren, abandoned first by their mentally disturbed mother and then by their father. She tries her best to take care of the kids, but warning them that the devil is close by, eager to infiltrate their home and their bodies, plunges the children into an agitated, claustrophobic confusion. This unusual household isolates itself almost entirely from the outside world. Eventually, the police show up with the news that the children are going to get a new home.
“We spent two months casting, then another two months doing an acting workshop with the kids. Michelle coached them during filming, and I was involved every step of the way, doing exercises, playing and filming with them. I learned a lot, had fun and also faced challenges. Working with kids isn’t difficult, but it’s energy-draining. Each child has a different personality and age, so you can’t approach them all the same way.” (Ernesto Martínez Bucio)
Ernesto Martínez Bucio
Born in Uruapan, Mexico in 1983. He studied communication sciences at the Jesuit University of Guadalajara, followed by film at the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica in Mexico. He has a master’s degree in filmmaking from the Elías Querejeta Zine Eskola in San Sebastián, Spain. In 2016, he participated in Berlinale Talents. The Devil Smokes is his debut fiction feature.