Ahead of his summer in Cannes this year, Jacques Audiard has always been a storyteller who thrives on contradictions. For those familiar with the French writer’s work – the grim prison drama of a prophet or diaspora saga Deepan -His latest turn may seem particularly disturbing. This time, he’s taken on his most extraordinary paradox yet: a musical crime comedy about a Mexican drug lord who faked his own death in order to pass himself off as a woman. For Jacques, Cannes Winner Emilia Perez This was a logical progression, tapping into the core themes of change and identity that have often defined his work.

At first glance, the Spanish opera tale seems absurdly high-concept, even to someone with a particularly erudite filmography., But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find the soul of an unlikely redemption story through which Jacques transcends disparate genres and settings to create a world that is both foreign and familiar – a world where the liveliness of the musical numbers And the dark underpinnings of the crime intersect in unexpectedly compelling ways.

Also read:‘Emilia Perez’ chosen as France’s official submission for Oscars 2025

In Emilia PerezZoe Saldana plays Rita, a tired lawyer who, suddenly, agrees to help notorious drug lord Manitas del Monte (Carla Sofia Gascón) transform into her authentic self as Emilia Pérez. Meanwhile, Manitas fakes her death and embarks on a journey to reconcile a violent past with a strong desire to live as a woman. This reimagined identity brings Emilia back to the family she left behind, albeit as a distant relative. Jacques’ film uses this premise not only to tell the story of a woman’s rebirth, but also to interrogate a society filled with unresolved violence and people seeking some semblance of normalcy.

“I was attracted to the contradiction of it all,” says Jacques. “Here you have this gangster – a symbol of masculinity and violence – and inside that tough exterior, a lifelong desire to be a woman. The change, the contradiction, has captured my imagination.

Having originally conceived the project as an opera, Jacques sees natural synergy in the themes of transition: “Opera has always dealt with transformation, voice and gender,” Jacques says, referring to the high voices in church choirs once upon a time. Discussing how they were sung by men alone. With mentions of Baroque castratti singers and Elizabethan cross-dressers, Jacques feels “continuity, and a lot of logic” in linking a cartel leader’s journey to these centuries-old traditions.

Anchoring the film is trans actress Carla Sofia Gascón in the dual roles of Manitas and Emilia – a character who feels like the wounded love child of Almodovarian melodrama and the brutality of Corleone. With her history in Mexican telenovelas, the contrast in Gascón’s performance is quite powerful. She brings an impressive range to her role, swinging between the rough edges of a criminal past and the poignancy of a woman in search of herself.

Also read: Cannes winner Carla Sofia Gascón faces transphobic insult from far-right French politician

“I don’t know much about strange people,” Jacques confesses. His “teacher” was a Gascon himself. “Carla Sofia is extraordinary,” says Audiard, whose admiration for her leadership is palpable. “There’s empathy, this vibration of tenderness – this tenacity that feels completely irresistible. It comes from his life, his experience. She is finished with the change; He is who he is. It brings a power to the role that is unique.”

Carla Sofia Gascón, left, and Adriana Paz in a scene from ‘Emilia Perez’ | Photo Credit: Netflix

For a filmmaker who has spent decades developing a sensibility steeped in quiet intensity, the musical format was a bold move in itself. Working with composer Clément Ducol and singer Camille, Jacques chose a score that could support the film’s riotous energy without diluting its emotional core.

He admits that this style was not exactly seamless – combining the seriousness of his subjects with the soundtrack was no easy task. “Making the story a musical was almost inevitable; The epic scope was naturally suited to music,” he explains, as if a dramatic new tune was always humming beneath the surface. “When Clément and Camille began to compose, the songs began to shape the script, and sometimes vice versa: I would suggest a theme for a scene, and they would create a song around it. The process went back and forth for four years, with many songs and scenes being developed or even cut.”

Working with Ducol, he created a score that dances on the tightrope of honesty without devolving into melodrama. The music was created to reflect Emilia’s journey, offering glimpses of light in the darkness, as a quiet voice rising to a defiant louder voice.

Despite his limited experience with music, Jacques’ flair for the dramatic shines through – there is a natural sense of avant-garde cinema, rich with sensory cues. “An interesting finding was how the music drove the storytelling. In a typical scene, it may take pages of dialogue to fully convey an idea. But a song can convey the same depth in just a few lines, touching both the heart and mind with remarkable speed,” he said, adding that his habit of saying less is unmistakable.

As I mustered a light “Merci Beaucoup” to close our exchange, I finally caught a glimpse of mischief in her eyes, slipping from behind the sunglasses she had worn throughout the interview. As if already planning his next adventurous style. However, for now, there’s a bizarrely original spectacle Emilia Perez, Only Jacques Audiard could fulfill Fever’s dream. And with it, the slightest whiff of potential Oscar glory on the horizon.

Emilia Perez is currently streaming on Netflix