Zoe Saldaña disagrees with criticism of Emilia Pérez's depiction of Mexico

The Best Supporting Actress winner also sidestepped the issue by claiming that "the heart of this movie was not Mexico."

By Emma Keates | March 3, 2025 | 11:13am

Photo: Etienne Laurent/The Academy

Film News Zoe Saldaña

Zoe Saldaña disagrees with criticism of Emilia Pérez's depiction of Mexico

Oh, you thought all that Emilia Pérez discourse would die as soon as the credits rolled (or the stream cut out) at the Oscars? Think again. Jacques Audiard’s Netflix musical has been a lightning rod for controversy since it hit the streamer, and it’s still getting its last (if we’re lucky) licks in via a post-win press conference with Best Supporting Actress winner Zoe Saldaña.

Backstage, a Mexican reporter asked Saldaña to respond to what they characterized as Emilia Pérez‘s “hurtful” depiction of the country, which they described as “the heart of the film,” per IndieWire. Emilia Pérez, which was helmed by a French director and shot primarily on a French soundstage, tells the story of a former cartel kingpin who receives gender-affirming surgery and starts an organization to help identify the bodies of missing cartel victims.

Most Popular

Saldaña apologized and acknowledged the fact that “so many Mexicans felt offended” by the story, asserting that this was “never our intention. We spoke and came from a place of love, and I will stand by that.” However, she also does not share the reporter’s opinion that Mexico was “the heart of this movie.”

“We weren’t making a film about a country,” she opined. “We were making a film about four women. And these women could have been Russian. They could have been Dominican. They could have been Black from Detroit. Could have been from Israel. Could have been from Gaza. And these women are still very universal women—that are struggling every day at trying to survive systemic oppression and trying to find their most authentic voices.”

The reporter last night isn’t the first to bring up these issues. The film was not received well in Mexico, and saw low ticket sales and some theatergoers demanding refunds, per The New York Times. Critiques have centered around Audiard’s lack of research, as well as the trivialization of an ongoing and very serious problem within the country. Mexico has seen more than 460,000 homicides since 2006, when the country’s president declared a war on cartels, per NYT. “We should keep things in perspective and say, ‘We’re not going to sing or dance about this subject,'” said Artemisa Belmonte, an activist who lost her mother, three uncles and a cousin in 2011.

Saldaña did invite more feedback from Mexican viewers during the conference. “I will stand by that,” she said of her remarks, “but I’m also always open to sit down with all of my Mexican brothers and sisters and with love and respect have a great conversation on how Emilia could have been done better.”