Emilia Pérez is heading to the Golden Globes with an impressive ten nominations, going up against the likes of Wicked and Challengers in the Best Musical or Comedy category. The genre-bending musical stars Zoe Saldaña as high-powered but unappreciated lawyer Rita, who agrees to help Mexican cartel leader Manitas [Karla Sofía Gascón] fake their own death and undergo gender reassignment operations.
Zoe, who is known for her roles in Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy, said she couldn't stop thinking about the story after reading the script. "It was described to me as this film noir that didn't really exist in any of the conventional kind of genres, but it was a musical," she said. "It was actually an opera, and based in a crime world, but there was going to be a sense of justice, and validation, and sanctification. And I was just like, 'What?' I had to read it more than once. And then, I couldn’t stop thinking about it."
But is the film based on a true story? Here's all we know about the inspiration behind the musical.
Is Emilia Perez a true story?
No, the plot of Emilia Perez is not based on a true story. Director Jacques Audiard, who co-wrote the film, said the idea came to him while reading the 2018 French novel Écoute by Boris Razon. "Halfway through, there is a character who is a drug kingpin who wants to transition to become a woman," he told W Magazine. "The author, who is a friend of mine, did not develop this character. I asked for the right to expand the character myself," he added.
© PAGE 114 - WHY NOT PRODUCTIONS - PATHÉ FILMS - FRANCE 2 CINÉMAThe film was originally conceived in the form of an opera with four acts, featuring "set pieces with one-dimensional characters that were more like archetypes," revealed Jacques, who said there are "still small traces of that in the film". "That's why we shot on a soundstage rather than on location," said the BAFTA-winning director. "I scouted a lot in Mexico, but after my third trip, I realized that was silly of me. We took it all back to a soundstage in Paris."
Who plays Emilia Perez?
© NetflixEmilia is played by Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who became the first openly trans person to win the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress award after the film premiered in the French city in May last year. She stars alongside Zoe, Selena Gomez and Édgar Ramírez in the film.
Director Jacques had originally planned for a cisgender male actor to play Emilia before her transition but leading star Karla was determined to play both roles.
© PAGE 114 - WHY NOT PRODUCTIONS - PATHÉ FILMS - FRANCE 2 CINÉMA"Because, as an actress, it would've been so ugly for me to say, 'Give that character to someone else,' no? I don't think I would’ve forgiven myself," Karla told Harper's Bazaar. "If I had seen any other actor playing that part of the character, I would’ve felt terrible watching the film. Also, I think the film wouldn’t have made sense," the Spanish actress continued. "Seeing somebody different, even if they had tried to find someone that physically looked like me, it would've been ugly to see how someone else stayed with part of my character’s soul. I think I would've had a problem with my ego."
