‘Emilia Pérez’ director apologies for depiction of Mexico in movie
Jacques Audiard, the director of the awards season favourite Emilia Pérez, has apologised after the film’s depiction of Mexico sparked a wave of criticism in the Latin country.
Audiard’s movie is a musical about a Mexican cartel boss who hires a lawyer, played by Zoe Saldaña, to help them disappear by transitioning into a woman. The lead role is played by transgender actor Karla Sofía Gascón, who recently became the first transgender woman to be nominated for the Golden Globe for ‘Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.’
The film premiered in Mexico on January 15th and is due for wide release on January 23rd, but reaction from filmmakers and critics in the country has not been favourable. Director Rodrigo Prieto declared it “completely inauthentic,” while critic Gaby Meza wrote that Audiard exploited “a current tragedy in Mexico, of drug trafficking and of those who have disappeared due to violence, in order to generate an entertainment product.”
In an interview with CNN, Audiard explained that he sees his film as an “opera” that isn’t intended to be “realistic.” However, he was sympathetic to the complaints levelled against him and his film, saying, “If there are things that seem shocking in Emilia Pérez then I am sorry. Cinema doesn’t provide answers, it only asks questions. But maybe the questions in Emilia Pérez are incorrect.”
The reaction from Mexican filmmakers hasn’t been entirely negative, though. For instance, The Shape of Water’s Guillermo Del Toro strongly advocated for Audiard and the film. Del Toro said, “I think he’s one of the most amazing filmmakers alive today” and raved, “It’s so beautiful to see a movie that is cinema.” Star Gascón also stood up for her director, declaring, “It’s a pity that [critics] use so many profiles to (uselessly) attack a film with such a beautiful message and representation instead of using them to support Mexican films and creators.”
Despite the controversy, Emilia Pérez is expected to carry its strong showing at the Golden Globes – where it won four awards – into Oscar season. In fact, Saldana and Selena Gomez are in the running to be nominated for ‘Best Supporting Actress’, while Gascon is odds-on to be the first trans woman to be nominated for ‘Best Actress.’
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