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Emilia Pérez Controversy

The Emilia Pérez Controversy: What Happened, Public Reactions, and Director’s Apology

The film has sparked mixed reactions from audiences

Archivado en: Films  •   Movies & TV Series  •  

Emilia Pérez is a movie written and directed by French filmmaker Jacques Audiard. It’s a French musical crime comedy featuring a standout cast, including Selena Gomez, Zoe Saldaña, and Karla Sofía Gascón in the leading roles.

The story follows a Mexican cartel boss, played by Karla Sofía Gascón, who decides to undergo a gender transition to avoid capture. Selena Gomez plays a skilled lawyer who gets an unexpected offer: to help the feared cartel leader leave the criminal world and disappear for good.

The film made a strong debut at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where Selena Gomez’s performance earned a lot of praise. However, it hasn’t been without controversy. Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez openly criticized the film, expressing his disappointment. He also called out Gomez’s performance, which sparked a flurry of reactions on social media as fans quickly came to her defense.

Mixed LGBTQ+ Reception

Emilia Pérez has sparked mixed reactions from audiences. Some have praised its daring concept, while others have criticized how it was handled. The film, which delves into themes of identity and transformation, has faced backlash for what critics see as an insensitive portrayal of both the transgender community and drug cartel culture. The LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD even called it “a profoundly retrograde portrayal of a trans woman.”

Karla Sofía Gascón, a transgender actress and one of the film’s leads, opened up about her experience. In an interview, she shared that she had to make changes to the script to address elements she found offensive or overly stereotyped. “I had to adapt the character to accurately reflect the trans experience because, at first, there were details that didn’t align with the reality we live.”

Art or Cultural Appropriation?

The film has sparked controversy and criticism in Mexico, the country that served as inspiration for French director Jacques Audiard’s story. Emilia Pérez has reopened conversations about how the film industry approaches sensitive social issues. Critics argue that while Audiard aimed to explore universal themes, he missed the mark in authentically portraying Mexican culture and the transgender experience.

 

Media outlets like El País and Vulture described the film as an example of cultural appropriation gone wrong, pointing out the need for more cultural sensitivity and awareness in projects like this. Meanwhile, Glamour noted that many viewers felt the film relied on stereotypes rather than offering a respectful and grounded portrayal.

Jacques Audiard Apologises

Speaking with CNN, Audiard admitted that some aspects of Emilia Pérez might have been offensive and expressed regret to the Mexican audience. “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 director said, explaining the thought process behind the film.

However, his acknowledgment that he didn’t conduct thorough research on Mexican culture before making the movie has only added to the backlash. Critics argue that this lack of preparation led to the shallow stereotypes seen in the film, further fueling the controversy.

On the other hand, Mexican director Guillermo del Toro defended Audiard, a move that didn’t sit well with many Mexicans.

“When I realize that Eugenio Derbez was right about Emilia Pérez and Guillermo del Toro wasn’t.”

“The line to apologize to Eugenio Derbez for being right about Emilia Pérez…”

Addressing the criticism, Karla Sofía Gascón shared her thoughts on social media. According to The Guardian, she wrote: “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.”