Oscars Frontrunner ‘Emilia Perez’ Faces Major Setback in Award Season

Photo : AFP

Karla Sofia Gascon made history as the first transgender woman to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress. She was in a movie called Emilia Perez, which was very popular and got many awards. But now, her road to winning the Oscar has become much harder because of some old posts on her social media. These posts were about Islam, protests against racism in the US, and the Oscars, which she called an "ugly gala."

Stay informed with the latest news. Follow DXB News Network on WhatsApp Channel  

Gascon was once seen as a symbol of change and diversity in Hollywood, but her comments upset some people, especially those who are part of the left side of politics. She apologized and said she is not a racist, but the damage was already done. Some people in the Academy, which decides the Oscar winners, have turned against her.

Netflix, which was hoping Emilia Perez would win Best Picture at the Oscars, has dropped Gascon from its campaign. On their website promoting the movie for Oscar consideration, Netflix showed a picture of Zoe Saldana, who was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress, instead of Gascon. Netflix did not comment when asked about this.

The director of Emilia Perez, Jacques Audiard, said Gascon's posts were "wrong" and "hateful." He also said that her actions were hurting the people around her, including himself, Zoe Saldana, and Selena Gomez, who were also in the movie.

The film, which is in Spanish and set in Mexico, was nominated for 13 Oscars. It also got 11 nominations from the BAFTA Awards in Britain and 12 from the Cesars in France. The movie won four Golden Globes, including Best Comedy or Musical. However, even with all these awards, the movie faced criticism from people in Mexico, who did not like how their country was shown in the film. The movie also didn't have many Mexican actors in the cast, which upset some people.

Gascon, who is Spanish, plays a woman in the movie who leaves a life of crime behind to become a leader of a drug cartel. Some people in Mexico and the LGBTQ+ community felt the movie did not properly show the issues faced by trans people. The use of computer technology to change Gascon's voice also caused complaints, even though using technology in movies is normal.

Jorge Volpi, a writer from Mexico, called the movie "one of the worst and most misleading films of the 21st century." Now, many people are wondering if all these problems will affect the Oscars when they happen on March 2.

Gascon has decided not to attend some events anymore, like the Critics' Choice Awards. Even though movies that face scandals, like Green Book in 2018, have still won awards, it’s not clear if Emilia Perez will still win big at the Oscars this year.