“Emilia Pérez,” the latest Cannes-premiering film from French auteur Jaques Audiard, is many things at once: a gritty crime film, an ambitious musical and a spotlight on trans issues. At the center of the Spanish-language movie are three women – Rita (Zoe Saldaña), Jessi ( Selena Gomez ) and the title character Emilia Pérez (Karla Sofía Gascón) — who become forever bonded by their traumatic experiences in Mexico City’s cartel-run underbelly. The confounding elements of the film are what first attracted Saldaña to her role, an overworked lawyer who is kidnapped by a druglord (Gascón) and tasked with assisting her character on a mission to get gender-affirming surgery.
“I knew it was going to stand out because of the story,” Saldaña tells Variety alongside her co-stars on the J.W. Marriott rooftop in Cannes on Saturday, the day of the film’s premiere.
“But I felt very excited because out of all the topics that Jacques could be making a film about, he chose this one.” Gomez says she was already a “huge fan” of “A Prophet” helmer Audiard, but became even more enthralled after reading the script. “It was captivating, it was heartbreaking, it was really moving to me,” she says.
But the real star of “Emilia Pérez” is, unsurprisingly, Emilia Pérez — and Spanish actress Gascón, who is herself trans, delivers a standout performance. “I think this movie is about the power of femininity,” Gascón says through a translator. .