Oscar winner Zoe Saldaña talked about criticism of “Emilia Pérez”: “The heart of this film was not Mexico”

After winning the Oscar Awards for Best Distributing Actress for Emilia Pérez, Zoe Saldaña He talked about the criticisms received by the film directed by the Frenchman Jacques Audiard.

Although at the beginning of the awards season it seemed that the film headed by Karla Sofía Gascón I was going to destroy, it ended up being one of the big losers on the most important night. Much had to do, of course, the large number of controversies around its main protagonist, statements of the director, and more.

However, part of the reason why Emilia Pérez was losing strength, is due to the poor reception he had in front of the Latin American public, and in particular the Mexican, who felt offended in the face of the themes raised in the film.

What Zoe Saldaña said about the criticism of Emilia Pérez

During the Post Oscars press conference, after having taken the statuette for Best Actress, Saldaña asked about the reaction of this fraction of the public, and the actress said that the criticism is poorly directed (via Screenrant):

“First of all, I’m very sorry that you and so many Mexicans have felt offended. That was never our intention. We talked and come from a place of love, and I will keep it.

I do not share your opinion. For me, the heart of this movie was not Mexico. We weren’t making a film about a country. 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, they could have been Israel, they could have been from Gaza.

These women are still very universal women who fight every day to try to survive systemic oppression and try to find their most authentic voices. So I will keep it, but I am also always open to sit with all my Mexican brothers and sisters, with love and respect, to have a great conversation about how it could have done better. I have no problem [con eso]. I welcome you.

Art does not follow a manual; What follows art is love, heart and light itself. When one wants to enter conversations that he does not necessarily understand, once he does, he brings more voices to the table. I think that is what Jacques Audiard did. This film is not based on real life and would make it a thousand times if necessary. This is a very important and very beautiful film that was made with a lot of love. I can only talk about that because that was my experience.

Of course, the reaction hurt. You do something with a completely open heart and, when it is not well received, you are confused and asking you why. But once you explore and processed it, you must make a decision. And I have decided to always follow my heart. I know I’m a person [amable] And all the conversations I want to have in my art are about humanity, I do not regret it. ”