Emilia Pérez director Jacques Audiard has apologised after the film was engulfed in a wave of criticism over its depiction of Mexico.
A Spanish-language musical about a cartel boss who transitions to a woman, starring transgender actor Karla Sofía Gascón opposite Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez premiered in Mexico City on Wednesday before its Mexican release on 23 January.
Speaking to CNN, Audiard suggested the film was an “opera” and therefore not “realistic”, adding: “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 film, for which Audiard is the sole credited writer and which was shot in a studio near Paris, attracted considerable criticism for its lack of involvement of Mexican cast and crew, as well as for its cartel-related subject matter. Director and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto called it “completely inauthentic” and “troubling” while film critic Gaby Meza suggested it “exploit[ed] a current tragedy in Mexico, of drug trafficking and of those who have disappeared due to violence, in order to generate an entertainment product”.
Emilia Pérez has also attracted criticism for the portrayal of its central character. The LGBTQ+ advocacy group Glaad called it “a profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman”.
However Audiard has been defended by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro, who described him as “one of the most amazing film-makers alive today”, while Gascón, who is Spanish, said on social media: “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.”
Audiard is one of France’s most acclaimed directors, whose prize-winning films include The Beat That My Heart Skipped, A Prophet and Rust and Bone. He won the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2015 for Dheepan, a study of Sri Lankan immigrants in the Paris suburbs.
Emilia Pérez has performed strongly during the current awards season, winning four Golden Globes including for best musical or comedy film, and securing 10 Bafta nominations. Saldaña is widely expected to win the Oscar for best supporting actress, and Gascón is expected to be the first out trans actor to be nominated for best actress.
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