Emilia Pérez's' director, Jacques Audiard, has finally apologized to Mexicans who found themes in the film offensive.

The French director Jacques Audiard argued this Thursday in an interview with EFE that he “would not change” 'Emilia Pérez', his latest award-winning film about an “interpreted reality” of Mexico, which has sparked an intense debate regarding the treatment of two of the most pressing issues afflicting this country: drug trafficking and the victims of disappearances.

It may have been embraced by the Academy, but just a day after its debut in Mexico, the acclaimed “narco-musical” Emilia Pérez was already drawing rebukes for superficial portrayals of sensitive subjects.

French director Jacques Audiard defended and apologized for his film “Emilia Pérez” at its Mexican premiere Wednesday.

The director and lead stars of 'Emilia Perez,' a gonzo trans-Mexican drug lord musical that is sweeping international film awards, told journalists on Wednesday the difficulty of making a movie that touches on the pain of human disappearances.

Mexican film critic Gaby Meza said “Emilia Perez” is “exotic and bold,” but without depth. “Not in the trans experience, not in the narco experience, not in the disappeared, but rather a touch of everything like an ingredient to sweeten.”

Despite its huge international success, including a leading 13 Oscar nominations, "Emilia Perez" faces criticism in Mexico, where the transgender narco-musical has been accused of trivializing raging drug-related violence.

French director Jacques Audiard told AFP Thursday that he was "extremely thrilled" after his film "Emilia Perez" shattered the record for the most Oscar nominations for a non-English-language film on Thursday.

Gascón previously picked up best actress nominations at the Critics Choice, Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards for her role in Emilia Pérez

Netflix dominates the Oscars 2025 with 18 nominations across six titles, led by Jacques Audiard's Emilia Pérez. The daring Spanish-language musical crime drama earned a record-breaking 13 nominations, becoming the most-nominated non-English language film in Academy history.

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And the nominees are… Those four words carry a tremendous amount of weight, eliciting rounds of applause or vitriolic rants from movie fans as names and film titles are revealed. Reactions to last week’s Academy Awards announcement ran the gamut,