Zoe Saldaña recently addressed the backlash surrounding the portrayal of Mexico in Emilia Perez following her Oscar win.
While the Jacques Audiard film was the most-nominated film during last night's 97th Oscars ceremony, it has received criticism over its inauthentic representation of Mexico and lack of sensitivity to the country's issues.
Zoe Saldaña Reacts to Emilia Perez Backlash After Winning the Oscar
After winning the Best Supporting Actress award for her performance in Emilia Perez, Saldaña went backstage to speak with the press in the interview room.
One of the journalists asked the recently-minted Oscar winner about the Mexicans' backlash on the film and how they felt "hurtful" about the portrayal of their country.
"First of all, I’m very, very sorry that many Mexicans felt offended. That was never our intention. We spoke from a place of love," Saldaña responded.
"I don’t share your opinion. For me, the heart of this movie was not Mexico. We were making a film about friendship. We were making a film about four women."
The Oscar winner continued her answer by defending the film and explained how the film is not specifically focused on the country. However, she's also welcome to hear the criticisms from the Mexican community.
"These women could have been Russian, could have been Dominican, could have been Black from Detroit, could have been from Israel, could have been from Gaza," she added.
"And these women are still very universal women that are struggling every day, but trying to survive systemic oppression and trying to find the most authentic voices. So I will stand by that, but I’m also always open to sit down with all of my Mexican brothers and sisters, with love and respect, a great conversation on how Emilia Perez could have been done better. I welcome it."
Emilia Perez's Awards Season Controversies.
Emilia Perez has been the center of controversies during its awards campaign, especially in the post-nomination period.
The film's main star Karla Sofia Gascon saw several of her past tweets that are deemed to be offensive resurfaced. It resulted in her taking a backseat for the rest of the campaign. She still attended the Oscars ceremony last night.
Aside from the Mexican community's backlash against the film, there are also criticisms from the transgender community surrounding its representation.
Director Jacques Audiard's statements regarding his defense on its portrayal of Mexico and comments about the Spanish language were also criticized by people online.
The film ended up only winning two Oscars out of its 13 nominations: Best Original Song for "El Mal" and Best Supporting Actress for Saldaña. Awards pundits speculated that the controversies may have affected its awards performance.
What do you think of Saldaña's remarks on the backlash? Let us know in the comments!
Make sure to follow our official Facebook page for more news and explainer articles about your favorite films and TV shows!