Sumith Prasad
Netflix’s musical crime film ‘Emilia Pérez’ revolves around the drug cartel leader Juan “Manitas” Del Monte, who undergoes gender-affirmation surgery to become Emilia Pérez. The protagonist transitions to a woman after hiding her femininity for decades. Even though she has been convinced that she is a woman since childhood, it takes years for her to move forward with the transition. She then turns her life around by launching an NGO that seeks to help the victims of cartel wars and their families. Jacques Audiard’s hard-hitting character study of Emilia may make her appear as a real-life figure. However, that’s not really the case!
Jacques Audiard Created Emilia Pérez/Manitas Del Monte Drawing Inspiration From a Novel
The origin of the character Emilia Pérez/Manitas Del Monte can be traced back to Boris Razon’s novel ‘Écoute.’ While reading the literary work, Jacques Audiard was struck by a minor character, a drug kingpin who becomes a woman to evade the law. Since Razon hasn’t developed the character beyond a point, the filmmaker was interested in expanding the crime lord’s life for an opera libretto, paving the way for the creation of the protagonist of ‘Emilia Pérez.’ Emilia/Manitas is a fictional character outrightly, as there are no known prominent drug cartel leaders who have undergone gender-affirmation surgery to become a woman.
After reading Razon’s novel, Audiard was particularly interested in the transformation of a conventional hyper-masculine figure into a woman. “I was drawn to the paradox of it all,” the filmmaker told The Hindu. “Here you have this kingpin—a symbol of virility and violence—and within that hardened exterior, a lifelong desire to be a woman. The transition, the paradox, is what captured my imagination,” he added. Audiard’s Emilia/Manitas is not completely based on Razon’s character. While the latter undergoes the transition to escape from a life as a criminal, the former does the same to embrace her authentic self.
This change was significant for Audiard. The film emphasizes Manitas’ wish to be a woman in every way possible because the cartel leader is well aware that she is nothing but one and not because of the law. As far as she is concerned, the authorities haven’t influenced her motivation to be Emilia at all. This emphasis given to the protagonist’s motive was also what attracted Karla Sofía Gascón, the lead performer who gave life to the character, to the project. Although Emilia/Manitas is fictional, we can find countless individuals across the world who struggled or succeeded in embracing their true selves and gender externally, which makes her rooted in reality.
Karla Sofía Gascón Helped Jacques Audiard Shape Emilia Pérez
Although Jacques Audiard created the character Emilia Pérez, she was further developed by Karla Sofía Gascón. The filmmaker didn’t have any hesitation to acknowledge his lack of awareness concerning the queer world and the trans experiences. He gave Karla the opportunity to collaborate with him to expand the character to the version we see on the screen. Since the actress is a trans woman who completed her transition, she could also provide insights concerning the nuances of Emilia’s transformation.
“She [Karla] helped me to a great extent in terms of the psychological component but also with practical elements, such as, ‘What is an operation like?’ and ‘What is the recovery period like?’ ‘What kind of pain is it,’ and ‘What kind of joy is it as well?’” Audiard told IndieWire. Emilia appears to be an authentic trans character also because of Karla’s contribution to shaping the protagonist. The internal struggles and conflicts of the cartel leader are seemingly identical to what the actress and numerous other trans women dealt with before their transition.
La Lucecita is a Fictional NGO Without an Exact Real-Life Counterpart
Like Emilia Pérez/Juan “Manitas” Del Monte, La Lucecita only exists in the world of ‘Emilia Pérez.’ The NGO, which translates to “The Little Light,” was conceived by Jacques Audiard to explore the unchanging world that surrounds the protagonist. Through Emilia’s experiences, Audiard wanted to establish that personal transformations don’t change the world around one. The character wishes to pay off her debts and attain redemption through the initiatives of her organization. However, she remains stuck in a selfish and violent realm, which ultimately rewrites her fate.
Having said that, there are many NGOs and non-profit organizations committed to making a difference in communities affected by drugs in real life. Cauce Ciudadano is an example. Founded by a reported former gang member named Carlos Cruz, the organization continues to stop the youth from being involved in the world of cartels, mainly in the Los Reyes Acaquilpan region of Mexico. Although La Lucecita was created to shed light on the unforgiving nature of the world, the film concludes by acknowledging that compassion can help and affect people, as many organizations do in real life.
Read More: Where Was Emilia Perez Filmed?
