Zoe Saldaña Says the Heart of ‘Emilia Pérez’ Is ‘not Mexico’ After Oscars Win

“We weren’t making a film about a country,” she told reporters backstage after being honored as Best Supporting Actress

Following her Best Supporting Actress win at the Oscars on Sunday night, Zoe Saldaña responded to a Mexican reporter saying Emilia Pérez has been “really hurtful for us Mexicans.”

Speaking to journalists in the Oscars press room, Saldaña defended the controversial film, acknowledging, “That was never our intention. We spoke, we came from a place of love, and I will stand by that. I don’t share your opinion.”

She continued, “For me, the heart of this movie is not Mexico. We weren’t making a film about a country. We were making a film [about] women, and 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, and these women are still very universal women that are struggling every day. Like trying to survive systemic oppression. And trying to find the most authentic voices, so I will stand by that.”

Saldaña added that she is “also always open to sit down with all of my Mexican brothers and sisters and with love and respect, having a great conversation on how Emilia could have been done better.” “I have no problem with that,” she noted. “I welcome it.”

Emilia Pérez won two awards during the Oscars ceremony: Saldaña for Best Supporting Actress and Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard for Best Original Song for “El Mal.” None of the winners mentioned Mexico or trans people in their acceptance speeches. Audiard, the film’s director, was offered an opportunity to speak out about the trans community being under attack backstage, but declined.

In the press room, Rolling Stone asked Audiard, “We’re in an an era of anti-trans political attacks and there was no mention tonight of the trans community. Would you like to say anything at this point?”

“Since I didn’t win Best Film or Best Director, I didn’t have the opportunity to speak,” Audiard responded, via a translator. “But had I had that opportunity, I would have spoken up.”

Audiard, a French filmmaker, wrote and directed Emilia Pérez, which earned 13 nominations for the Academy Awards. Audiard shot the film primarily on a soundstage in France rather that go to Mexico to create the Mexican-set story. The movie has been hit with controversy in the months since its release by Netflix, including criticism of its portrayal of Mexico, star Selena Gomez’s Mexican accent, and Best Actress nominee Karla Sofía Gascón‘s hateful social media posts.

Oscars host Conan O’Brien took aim at Gascón during his monologue. “Little fact for you: Anora uses the f-word 479 times,” he joked. “That’s three more than the record set by Karla Sofía Gascón’s publicist. ‘She tweeted what!?’”

Despite the furor over her resurfaced social media posts, Gascón—who is the first out transgender woman to be nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars—did attend the ceremony on Sunday. She did not walk the red carpet or respond to any questions from press.