“Emilia Pérez”, by Jacques Audiard, a French film made in Spanish and distributed by Netflix, dominated the nominations for the 2025 Oscars with 13 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Karla Sofía Gascón, making her the first openly trans actress nominated for an Oscar. The film also received nominations for directing, original screenplay, two for its songs, and for Zoe Saldaña’s supporting performance.
“This recognition is a celebration of the global world we live in,” Audiard said in a statement.
Despite its prominent role in Hollywood, Netflix has never won the Best Picture award. “Emilia Pérez”, however, may be its best chance yet. It has become the most nominated non-English language film of all time, surpassing Netflix’s own “Roma”, which received 10 nominations. Only three films — “All About Eve”, “Titanic”, and “La La Land” — have received more nominations in Oscar history.
Karla Sofía Gascón is at the center of the musical drama as a powerful Mexican mafia boss who hires a lawyer (Zoe Saldaña) to help her fake her death and undergo gender affirmation surgery. Gascón has become the first openly transgender woman to receive nominations for Best Actress at the Golden Globes and the Oscars.
Directed by Frenchman Jacques Audiard, “Emilia Pérez” premiered in May 2024 at the Cannes Film Festival in France, where it immediately received a warm reception. Gascón, Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Adriana Paz were honored with Best Actress, while Emilia Pérez received the Jury Prize. However, criticism arose when the film arrived on Netflix in September of the following year.
The controversies of the film
Mexican representation
Emilia Pérez is set in Mexico and addresses sensitive topics such as drug trafficking, gang violence, and missing persons. Critics argue that someone who has not lived in Mexico under such threats may not be the best person to tell such a story, and some have even accused the film of perpetuating stereotypes.
Questionable Spanish
Many Spanish-speaking viewers raised eyebrows while watching “Emilia Pérez”. Audiard wrote the script and French singer Camille wrote the songs, and both had to work with a translator, as neither speaks Spanish. The songs and dialogues have been criticized as artificial and strange, and several social media users noted that the English subtitles are not exact translations.
Trans representation
GLAAD called Emilia Pérez “a step back in trans representation” in an article. The film was noticeably absent from the nominations for the GLAAD Media Awards on Wednesday, January 22. Honorees are praised for their meaningful representation of the LGBTQ+ community.
Many trans critics cited various issues with the film, from the unrealistic portrayal of gender affirmation surgery to the way Emilia’s transition seems to be equated with morality.
Use of AI
Sound designer Cyril Holtz stated that an artificial intelligence company, Respeecher, was used to alter Gascón’s voice. For a song that occurs before Emilia’s gender affirmation surgery, the director wanted Emilia’s voice to sound different. They used AI to blend Gascón’s voice with Camille’s, who wrote the musical numbers.
Source: AP and US Magazine