AceShowbiz - Zoe Saldana clinched her first Oscar, winning Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Emilia Perez." The film, which follows a Mexican cartel kingpin transitioning into a woman, also won Best Original Song. Despite its achievement of 13 nominations, the French-made Spanish-language musical faced significant criticism, especially from the Mexican community.

During a press room interview post-victory, Saldaña, who is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, was confronted by a journalist who found the film "hurtful" to Mexicans.

Saldaña responded, "First of all, I'm very, very sorry that many Mexicans felt offended. That was never our intention. We spoke from a place of love," she assured, standing by the film's message.

Saldaña emphasized that the movie's core wasn't about Mexico. "For me, the heart of this movie was not Mexico. We were making a film about friendship. We were making a film about four women," she explained.

Saldaña defended the universality of the characters, noting, "These women could have been Russian, could have been Dominican, could have been Black from Detroit, could have been from Israel, could have been from Gaza."

The journalist's concerns weren't isolated. Criticism of the film extended to social media and prominent figures in the Mexican community, including actor Eugenio Derbez, who questioned the authenticity of Selena Gomez's portrayal and noted how bad her accent was.

He also took issues with French director Jacques Audiard for not speaking Spanish or English and questioned his understanding of the Mexican culture depicted in the film.

Adding to the controversy was Audiard's problematic comments about Spanish language being "the language of the poor." Additionally, lead actress Karla Sofia Gascon faced backlash for past offensive comments on social media, including one about diversity at the Oscars.

Saldana's win was a historic moment, as she became the first American of Dominican origin to accept an Academy Award. In her acceptance speech, she spoke emotionally about her immigrant family background and dedicated her award to her grandmother.

"The fact that I'm getting an award for a role where I got to sing and speak in Spanish - my grandmother, if she were here, she would be so delighted, this is for my grandmother," she declared.

Despite the film's controversies, Saldaña remains open to dialogue, stating, "I'm also always open to sit down with all of my Mexican brothers and sisters, with love and respect, [to have] a great conversation on how 'Emilia Perez' could have been done better. I welcome it."

The Academy Awards night was a mixture of triumph and trials for "Emilia Pérez." While the film did not meet its highest aspirations with just two wins, it remains a topic of fervent discussion within the industry and among audiences.