Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña has apologised to Mexicans who had been offended by the controversial musical Emilia Pérez.
The star picked up the greatest supporting actress Oscar for her position within the Netflix film and within the press room after her win, a journalist informed her the movie had been “actually hurtful for us Mexicans”.
The movie, a couple of cartel boss looking for to transition to a lady, has come underneath fireplace in the previous couple of months after complaints that it was an inauthentic and stereotyped portrayal from a crew made up largely of Europeans such because the French writer-director Jacques Audiard.
“I’m very, very sorry that you simply and so many Mexicans felt offended,” she stated. “That was by no means our intention. We spoke from a spot of affection.”
Saldaña, who turned the primary American actor of Dominican origin to win an Oscar, additionally went on to say she didn’t agree with the criticisms. “I don’t share your opinion,” she stated. “For me, the guts of this film was not Mexico. We had been making a movie about friendship. We had been making a movie about 4 girls.”
She continued: “These girls may have been Russian, may have been Dominican, may have been Black from Detroit, may have been from Israel, may have been from Gaza. And these girls are nonetheless very common girls which might be struggling day-after-day, however making an attempt to outlive systemic oppression and looking for probably the most genuine voices. So I’ll stand by that, however I’m additionally at all times open to sit down down with all of my Mexican brothers and sisters, with love and respect, [to have] a fantastic dialog on how Emilia may have been achieved higher.”
In her speech, Saldaña paid tribute to her heritage. “My grandmother got here to this nation in 1961,” she stated. “I’m the proud baby of immigrant mother and father with desires and dignity and hard-working palms.”
The movie led the night time with 13 nominations but gained simply two for Saldaña and for authentic music. It had been the topic of various controversies, additionally backlash from the LGBTQ+ neighborhood and for lead Karla Sofia Gascón’s historical past of inflammatory tweets.
Audiard had beforehand apologised to these offended: “If there are issues that appear surprising in Emilia Pérez then I’m sorry … Cinema doesn’t present solutions, it solely asks questions. However possibly the questions in Emilia Pérez are incorrect.”
Sean Baker’s Anora finally gained probably the most awards with 5 wins, together with for greatest image.
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