CinemaUnderstand the dissatisfaction of Mexicans with Emilia Perez

Emilia Perez (2024) was the big film of the last edition of Golden Globewinning awards in four categories, including one of the biggest of the night: Best Film, Musical or Comedy. The public, however, has used social media to criticize the feature film negatively, claiming that the film is an inauthentic portrayal of Mexican culture and the trans experience.

“When Mexicans say that a film… is portraying a Mexico full of stereotypes, ignorance, lack of respect and is profiting from one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the world,” wrote the Mexican actor Mauricio Morales in a statement X. “Maybe…just maybe, believe the Mexicans.”

#EmiliaPérezpic.twitter.com/naL9FAl0ok

— Mauricio Martínez (@martinezmau) January 6, 2025

Another internet user took aim at the criticism of the award and called the Golden Globe of “joke.” According to the profile, the fact that the film won so many awards is “it’s a racist and xenophobic mess with horrible Mexican representation, made by a French director who didn’t even bother to research our culture.”

The Golden Globes are a joke. How is Emilia Perez winning so many awards? It’s a racist, xenophobic mess with awful Mexican representation made by a French director who didn’t even bother to research our culture… pic.twitter.com/tCXKwDau93

— Connor (@august_cbmyn) January 6, 2025

Jacques Audiarddirector of the feature film, has been criticized for not speaking Spanish, not having filmed in Mexico and not having Mexican actresses in the three main roles. “I saw a lot of actresses in Mexico, I met trans actresses, but it just wasn’t working,” the director told The Hollywood Reporter.“And so I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but in a very short period of time, I met Karla Sofía Gascón…And then I met Zoe [Saldaña] on Zoom, and something appeared very clearly to me.”

Among the main characters in the plot there is only one Mexican actress, Adriana Paz. Karla is Spanish, Edgar Ramirez is from Venezuela and Zoe is American, as well as Selena Gomez., despite both having Latin ancestry.

Another criticism of the film was made by the non-governmental organization Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), which classified Emilia Perez as “a step back for trans representation” due to its use of the protagonist’s transgender identity as a redemption arc. The organization also said that the feature film is a “profoundly retrograde portrait of a trans woman.”