Jacques Audiard’s musical-comedy Emilia Perez is the top contender at this year’s EE BAFTA Film Awards, leading with 12 nominations. Despite tearing up the awards circuit, the film has been shrouded with plenty of controversy.
52-year-old star Karla Sofia Gascon – who recently became the first trans person to be nominated for an Oscar for her performance in the film – is currently keeping a low profile after past inflammatory tweets from 2016-2020 have resurfaced.
In addition, many Latin-American critics have been speaking out against the film, with its depiction of Mexico stoking widespread criticism.
We’ve launched into a deep dive into all the issues surrounding the history-making, much-nominated movie and what it could mean for the Academy Awards.
What is the film about?
Emilia Pérez is a divisive musical-comedy about a Mexican cartel boss who disappears from the criminal underworld to create a new life as a woman.
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The film is the lead frontrunner at The BAFTA Film Awards (Image: Getty)
But when her love for her kids proves too much, she re-introduces herself into their lives, posing as a distant relative. The movie stars Karla Sofía Gascón, Zoe Saldaña, and Selena Gomez, and it can be streamed on .
What did Karla Sofía Gascón tweet?
After the film gained prominence, many old inflammatory tweets written by Karla resurfaced online. She has come under fire for controversial posts about the murder of George Floyd, the Muslim community, and diversity at the Oscars.
But the movie star has insisted she’s “not the same person” she used to be. Following widespread uproar, Karla took to to express her regret and to clarify her position.
In a post written in Spanish, she penned: “THEY ALREADY WON. The first thing I’d like to do is ask for the most sincere forgiveness from those who feel bad about the way I’ve expressed myself at any stage of my life. I have many things to learn in this world, the forms [in which I learn] are my biggest defect. Life has taught me something I never wanted to learn: it’s clear to me that no matter how much my message is my message, without using the proper words, [the message] can convert into another. (sic)”
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Zoe Saldaña plays lawyer Rita in the much-nominated film (Image: Netflix)
Response from cast and crew
‘Emilia Perez’ director Jacques Audiard labelled Karla’s previous comments “inexcusable” and said he didn’t want to speak to her.
He reportedly told Deadline, “I haven’t spoken to her and don’t want to. She is taking a self-destructive approach that I can’t interfere with, and I really don’t understand why she’s continuing. […]
“I’m thinking about how she’s hurting others, the crew, and all these people who worked so incredibly hard on this film. I’m thinking of myself, I’m thinking of Zoe [Saldaña] and Selena [Gomez]. I just don’t understand why she’s continuing to harm us.”
Meanwhile, Selena has confessed “that some of the magic has disappeared” following Karla’s tweets.
Karla Sofía Gascón has sparked controversy due to her unearthed tweets (Image: Getty)
Complaints from Mexicans and industry figures
The film has also come under fire for its representation of Mexico. The Spanish-language musical, which is mostly filmed in France, depicts drug and crime-related violence, but questions have arisen as to why more Mexican people were involved in the film.
Mexican screenwriter Héctor Guillén slammed the production in a series of online tweets, posting one which says: “Mexico hates Emilia Pérez/ “Racist Euro Centrist Mockery”/ Almost 500K dead and France decides to do a musical.”
He told the : “There’s a drug war, [since 2006] and in the country. We are still immersed in the violence in some areas. You are taking one of the most difficult topics in the country, but it’s not only any film, it’s an opera. It’s a musical.
“So for us and many activists, it’s like you are playing with one of the biggest wars in the country since the Revolution [in the early 20th Century]. Part of the plot is about searching mothers of the disappeared [searching for their children]: one of the most vulnerable groups in Mexico.”
What does this mean for the Oscars?
The musical is also the top contender at the Academy Awards, but how will Karla Sofía Gascón’s actions impact the film’s chances? Zoe Saldaña is likely to pick up a gong – but the film recently went home empty-handed at the DGA Awards. It’ll all come down after the BAFTAs this Sunday.
The EE Bafta Film Awards airs on One on Sunday 16 September.