Trans Mexican woman responds to Emilia Pérez by making ‘French’ film without a French cast or crew

A trans woman has created a parody film in response to French-made cartel movie Emilia Pérez, which has been criticised for disregarding Mexican screenwriters and actors and “being a Eurocentric production.”

Emilia Pérez stars trans actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who is Spanish, and who recently made history by becoming the first out trans performer ever to be nominated for an Oscar.

However, many – including trans content creator Camila Aurora – have criticised the film for its cast of leading actors that only includes one Mexican performer (Adriana Paz) in a relatively minor role (Epifanía). Emilia Pérez was also shot entirely in France.

In response to this, Aurora and screenwriter Héctor Guillén created a tongue-in-cheek musical titled Johanne Sacrebleu – a film about France made in Mexico, and only starring Mexican performers.

It tells the story of a trans woman who is an heiress to the biggest baguette producer in France and who falls in love with Agtugo Ratatouille, the trans heir to the biggest croissant company in France.

The Sacrebleu and Ratatouille families are bitter rivals and it is through their love that they try to reconcile their families as well as addressing bigger issues like racism – a true enemies-to-lovers story.

Aurora’s parody has already reached 750,000 views, with the caption reading: “The project you have been waiting for so much is ready.”

All of the songs in the short film are completely original with Aurora recently announcing that she will be releasing them on Spotify fairly soon.

The film pokes fun at Emilia Perez and what screenwriter Héctor Guillén called its “racist Eurocentrist mockery.”

Speaking to the BBC, Guillén said: “Their way of making the film is to disregard so many in the [film] industry in Mexico… Having a few Mexicans in there does not stop it from being a Eurocentric production.”

He also pointed out how the film takes a very distressing and serious topic – the drug war that has resulted in nearly 500,000 deaths and 100,000 missing – and, in his eyes, turned it into a joke.

“And there were zero words in the four Golden Globe acceptance speeches to the victims,” Guillén added.

Mexican audiences reportedly resented the film’s lack of “sensitivity and context” as well as director Jacques Audiard’s admission that he did not research Mexico’s drug war in depth prior to writing the film.

Emilia Pérez has also faced criticism for being a “142-minute long, almost infuriatingly sub-par musical with not a single memorable song”, according to PinkNews’ reporter Amelia Hansford, who is a trans woman.

Hansford also felt that the film is “alienated from the process of transitioning as a trans women” and ends up showcasing the titular character as “yet another psychopathic trans character” to add to the pile.

“To call this film awards bait would be doing a disservice to awards bait – Emilia Pérez, instead, is a film that thinks it demands respect just by the act of existing. The way that filmmakers reverently discuss it as some kind of revolutionary piece of cinema, or the way it is trying to weave itself into trans activism by pretending it is the pinnacle of representation, has left me feeling a particular kind of cynical,” Hansford wrote.

In spite of this criticism, Emilia Pérez has been sweeping up awards and nominations since it was released at Cannes Film Festival.

The film won four Golden Globe awards from 10 nominations, including Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) – beating out Wicked which some felt was a travesty – and Best Motion Picture (Non-English Language), Best Original Song, and Best Supporting Actress for Zoe Saldana’s role.

Emilia Pérez is now a “divisive Oscar frontrunner”, having received 13 nominations overall.