Is Emilia Pérez A True Story?

Emilia Pérez, an Oscar-contender and crime comedy musical on Netflix, has been the subject of speculation regarding its authenticity. The genre-bending movie, which was directed by French director Jacques Audiard (Rust and Bone, The Sisters Brothers), has inventive dance and musical numbers along with an intense narrative about regret and unmet desire. Despite criticism for misrepresenting transgender realities and using trans narrative tropes, the film is France's official submission for Best International Feature at the 97th Academy Awards, which will take place on March 2, 2025.

Selena Gomez, Karla Sofía Gascón, and Zoe Saldaña headed Emilia Pérez's cast with their combined skills. It had its global premiere in May at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where Emilia Pérez took up the Best Actress Ensemble prize and the Jury Prize. One of the film's key attractions and the central theme of the eventually tragic story is Emilia Pérez's music. While Emilia Pérez is set in multiple locales, the majority of the film was filmed in Paris, France. The three major characters in Emilia Pérez confront a number of hard realities about identity and society at the book's conclusion, which demand radical reform.

Was there a real Emilia Pérez, and is her story true?

Emilia Pérez tells the story of Rita, a defense attorney in Mexico City who wants to change the world. Rita meets Manitas Del Monte, a cartel chief, who offers him a unique yet profitable opportunity to realize his lifelong desire of becoming a woman. Additionally, Emilia transforms from the cruel and heartless Manitas into a saintly and moral communal figure who is adored by many. The community's celebration and grief of Emilia's life at the end of the movie is incredibly ironic given that they only truly understand half of the story and are unaware of the extent of the carnage Manitas has brought about in the globe.

Although Emilia Pérez's narrative is heartbreaking and motivational, it is not based on factual events. This indicates that neither Manitas Del Monte nor Emilia Pérez were ever modeled after a genuine person. It's fair to assume that the movie is at least somewhat based on truth given the grim subject matter and neo-realist cinematography, which provide an intriguing juxtaposition to the extravagant musical numbers and dance featured throughout. Even though some of Emilia Pérez's themes are relevant to and meant for the world we live in, the book is actually a full work of fiction.

Why Emilia Pérez's Story Was Inspired

"Listen" (Écoute), Boris Razon's 2018 novel, is loosely adapted in Emilia Pérez. "I got the idea from a book called Écoute [Listen]," writer/director Jacques Audiard told W magazine. A drug kingpin character who wishes to change genders is introduced halfway through. This character was not created by my pal, the author. I requested permission to develop the character on my own. Emilia Pérez does not alter many other aspects of the book, except from the character's development.

Audiard went on, "I found Emilia Pérez to be fascinating because she is a woman and a highly successful person in a world that is really virulent. How does she live her life when she can't show who she really is? Indeed, she was in a sort of jail. However, there is a price for her new life. Rather than drawing from the life of a real person, Audiard and his co-writers were allowed to examine this contradiction of her character through their artistic imagination. However, transgender actress Karla Sofía Gascón is on the verge of being the first person to be nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards.

How Emilia Pérez's Story Was Affected by Karla Sofia Gascón's Real Life

Because she disliked musicals and wasn't sure how her character would be depicted, Gascón was first apprehensive about playing Emilia Pérez. When creating the title character, Audiard drew on some of Gascón's personal experiences and viewpoints. Vogue reported that "The director rewrote certain scenes as a result of Karla’s input—for example, one scene featuring an explosion of physical violence by Emilia was pared back to seething fury." Additionally, Gascón revised Audiard's original plan to have two distinct actresses play Manitas and Emilia Pérez. "It’s as if Beauty and the Beast were both locked in the same body," Gascón said.