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.

Musical Emilia Pérez, about a Mexican drug lord, is the frontrunner for the Academy Awards, with 13 nominations. But its depiction of the country is stoking criticism.

Emilia Pérez was recently nominated for 13 Oscars. However, it has become controversial due to its representation of transgender and Mexican communities.

The star earned some of the best reviews of her career out of the Venice Film Festival for her portrayal of the opera icon Maria Callas. Director Pablo Larrain previously delivered Oscar nominations to two of his stars playing historical figures — Natalie Portman for “Jackie” in 2017 and Kristen Stewart for “Spencer” in 2022.

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

Selena Gomez’s role in Emilia Pérez earned mixed reviews. While some believed she knocked it out of the park, others found her Spanish accent dodgy and undeserving of the praise. Nevertheless, the role meant a lot to Gomez personally,

Starring Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana, this musical telenovela about a trans cartel kingpin was a hit at Cannes and has already won a Golden Globe. So why is it copping so much criticism elsewhere?

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.

“Emilia Pérez” won four Golden Globes on Jan. 5, including two best picture awards in the musical/comedy and non-English language categories, which sparked controversy online.

The Academy announced Oscar nominations Thursday morning, and the divisive French crime musical “Emilia Pérez” led the nominations as expected with 13, though Selena Gomez missed out on a nod ...

Karla Sofia Gascon, Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez attend the screening of Jacques Audiard's "Emilia Pérez" during the opening night of the French American Film Festival (TAFFF) at the Directors ...

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.