London [US], February 17: Jacques Audiard’s Spanish drama Emilia Perez claimed victory in the Best Non-English Language Film category at the 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA).
Audiard accepted the award, but it was his acceptance speech that drew significant attention. Despite controversy surrounding actress Karla Sofia Gascon’s offensive tweets, Audiard made a point to thank her during his speech, according to Variety.
“Above all, I would like to thank all the wonderful artists who brought this film to life and who are here with us tonight,” Audiard said. “My dear Zoe, my dear Selena, Giorgini, Paul, Juliet, Camille, Clement, Julia and your team, but also you, my dear Karla Sofia, that I kiss. I’m deeply proud of what we achieved together. Long live Emilia Perez,” he added.
Gascon, who was absent from the ceremony and had skipped several other prestigious events including the Critics Choice Awards, PGA Awards, and Goya Awards, has effectively been removed from the awards campaign. Her co-stars Selena Gomez and Zoe Saldana attended the BAFTAs and were nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category.
Gascon faced backlash after her controversial tweets from 2020 and 2021 resurfaced. In her posts, she made offensive remarks about Muslims, George Floyd, and diversity at the Oscars. After the controversy, she issued an apology in a statement to Variety, saying, “I want to acknowledge the conversation around my past social media posts that have caused hurt. As someone in a marginalized community, I know this suffering all too well and I am deeply sorry to those I have caused pain. All my life I have fought for a better world. I believe light will always triumph over darkness.”
Among the resurfaced tweets, Gascon criticized the diversity of the 2021 Oscars ceremony, calling it “an Afro-Korean festival” and a “Black Lives Matter demonstration.” She also referred to George Floyd as a “drug addict swindler” following his death in 2020, which sparked widespread protests in the U.S.
In India, viewers can catch the winning moment of Jacques Audiard’s speech on Lionsgate Play.