Emilia Perez picks up non-English language Bafta as Zoe Saldana wins acting gong
An emotional Saldana, 46, who won in the same category at the Golden Globes, said the award was 'so validating' and 'a true honour'.
She added: 'This was a creative challenge of a lifetime, how do you begin to even approach a film that just defies categorisation, and you start by taking the lead of (director) Jacques Audiard.'
Saldana then swore after saying she was being given a countdown, and added: 'Films are supposed to change hearts and challenge minds and I hope Emilia Perez did something like this, because voices need to be heard, just not my English accent.'
The Spanish language film also picked up the award for best film not in the English language, having been the second-most nominated title at this year's Bafta film awards, with 11 nominations in total.
Accepting the prize, the film's French director Audiard said he was 'touched', and said the prize 'was for everyone who worked tirelessly on this film'.
He also paid tribute to his fellow nominees, Ireland's Kneecap and Brazil's I'm Not There.
Audiard added that 'he would like to thank the wonderful talents', and also named his 'dear Zoe', and 'Selena' (Gomez).
The musical film follows four women in Mexico as they each pursue happiness, and sees fearsome cartel leader (Karla Sofia Gascon) enlist Rita (Saldana), an unappreciated lawyer, to help fake her death so she can live as her true self, Emilia.
The film uses song, dance and bold visuals to tell its story, and features original songs written by French singer-songwriter Camille and composer Clement Ducol.
The multi-award nominated film, which was the toast of the awards season, became mired in controversy after Gascon apologised for a number of tweets that she posted prior to the film's release.
After the tweets were brought to light, the actress apologised and maintained that she had not been 'racist' in Instagram posts.
Gascon, 52, who was the first transgender actress to win the Cannes Film Festival Award for best actress, was nominated for best actress but did not attend the ceremony.
The film won the Jury Prize and best actress, which was shared by its four female leads, at the Cannes Film Festival.
At the Golden Globes, the operatic musical was the big winner of the night with four gongs, among them best motion picture for a musical or comedy, best non-English language film, Saldana taking home best supporting actress for a motion picture, and Camille, Ducol and Audiard winning best original song.
The awards also saw Gascon nominated for best actress for a motion picture musical or comedy, becoming the first trans woman to be nominated for the gong.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
32 minutes ago
- Business Insider
I worked the night shift and spent it chatting with a guy in the UK. He flew to the US to meet me, and we've been together for 27 years.
In 1997, I met my husband thanks to an obnoxious coworker. I was a 27-year-old data entry clerk at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. My coworkers were other recent graduates making ends meet. We were friends — all of us except one. This particular coworker, as she liked to remind us, came from a wealthy family. She didn't talk to us often — that is, except when she felt like bragging, as she did the day she trounced into the office to announce her brother had won a radio. My coworkers and I decided we, too, would win something. And our prize would be cool because it would be won online. (Remember, in 1997, the internet was a shiny new toy.) Unfortunately, I was the only one with a computer, as very few people had personal computers then. So, every night, I entered all of us into a plethora of competitions. I got in the habit and kept at it even after I got a much better-paying job, working the night shift at a publishing plant. In the process, I discovered a site that paid virtual coins for clicking on other webpages. One of the sites it paid me to visit was American Singles, a simple and slightly boring bulletin board. As I was about to log out, I met a 26-year-old guy calling himself Dionysus. We immediately hit it off, and I stayed logged on. We chatted every night for 6 months He was finishing his degree, and though he was in the UK, because I was working the night shift, it was basically like we were in the same time zone. We talked about everything, for about six hours each night for six months. I told him things I hadn't shared with anyone else. In fact, I got so wrapped up in talking to him that I completely forgot to keep entering contests. I chatted with abandon, completely unaware that he was paying for the internet by the minute. When his bill came, he decided it would be cheaper to fly to the US to meet me in California. He asked if that would be OK, and I said yes. Then, he came to the US to visit me I was both anxious and excited, and those co-workers, with whom I was still friends, didn't help. They asked how I knew the man I was talking to wasn't a 60-year-old grandmother. I didn't; I'd only learned three months into chatting that his real name was Adrian. His timing was also unfortunate. At the time, there was a story all over the news about a stalker using the internet to prey on a young girl. So, when I told my mom a guy I met online was coming, she panicked. "He's an ax murderer, I'm driving down," she said. I begged her not to come, but our conversation did nothing to alleviate the apprehension that had been building. A stranger from another country would soon be staying in my apartment. Was this a good idea? It was a bit awkward at first, but we got through it When we finally met, we discovered a few cultural differences. Though English people generally don't tend to have a flair for the dramatic, picking up stakes and coming to a new country just to meet someone you've been chatting with online is pretty bold. So, Adrian tried to compensate during our first visit by making his surroundings a bit more English. On his first night in the US, we had pizza. I opened the box and took a slice. He sat staring at it. "Do you have a knife and fork?" he inquired. I assured him I did. "Can I have them?" I gaped, and watched with amusement as he attempted to eat a pizza with utensils. After a while, he gave up and ate with his hands. (When we went to the UK to meet his family, I understood. You can't eat British pizza any other way.) Since pizza was not an unalloyed success, I decided to take him to Starbucks, thinking, who doesn't know about Starbucks? It turned out, the British. (The chain's first store opened in London in 1998, and Adrian had never been to one before. He asked me if it was named after Battlestar Galactica.) Welcome to America. But we persevered and, over time, learned one another's routines, insecurities, and quirks. When it got serious, I took him to meet my mom. She really liked him — possibly because he passed the test of not hacking me to death. We dated for about three months after he came to the US. During that time, we toured San Francisco and camped on the beach in Monterey. Then, he asked me to go to the UK for two weeks to meet his family. His family was incredibly welcoming, and one of his friends took a week out of his life to show me their corner of England. I loved it, and I loved his family. When we got back to my apartment in Davis, we settled down to watch a documentary about mummification. As the narrator described the process, Adrian asked me to marry him. I said yes, and we eloped in 1999. It's been 27 years since we met in person. We are now 54 and 53 years old, and of course, we are still chatting.
Cosmopolitan
an hour ago
- Cosmopolitan
Is Leah Williamson in a relationship?
Leah Williamson, footballer and captain of the England women's national team, has long sparked dating rumours with Elle Smith, an American model and former Miss USA winner. From sweet holiday snaps to celebrating her football wins together, the 28-year-old and her beau have somewhat soft-launched their relationship on Instagram over the last few months. However, from what we, and other social media sleuths (see: fans of the pair), can see, they're yet to actually make it 'official.' So, let's take a deep dive into their rumoured relationship, including some of the sweetest moments so far... Last month, Elle took to her Instagram to share snippets of her Majorcan holiday with her 127K followers. While many shots showed off her summer fits and stunning views of the Spanish island, a couple of pics saw the pair looking super loved up. Case in point: slide 3 caught Leah and Elle on a paddleboard together, while slide 17 saw Elle snap a candid pic of the footballer dressed up and heading out for dinner. Leah also posted snaps of the getaway — where they were celebrating Elle's birthday — which included a gorgeous photo of the pair at dinner. A selfie of the two was featured in the carousel too, which saw Leah and Elle sunkissed and smiling. Elle commented on the holiday roundup: "same time next year?" to which Leah responded: "yes please x." Err, cute. Back in May, Elle posted a black and white shot of her cuddling Leah, who was sitting on her lap. Leah was clutching a medal and wearing an England shirt following her team's 6-0 win against Portugal. The post also included footage of the match, in which Elle could be heard cheering on the team. Leah commented on the post: "We did it!" Even earlier in March, Elle posted a video of her and Leah floating in the ocean on a paddleboard. Leah appeared to be lying down and resting her head on Elle's legs, as they had a sweet, intimate chat. Elle accompanied the post with the caption: "happy birthday my love x." Leah responded with the cutest emojis: "🥰🤭🧜♀️." Interestingly, this Insta post sparked 'official' comments from fans, with one person writing: "The mother of hard launches!" Others said: "So happy for you!" while another person said they were the "cutest" together. Officially obsessed with these two.
Tom's Guide
3 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Netflix just got one of the best movies you (probably) missed in theatres — and it's like ‘Dead Poets Society' but with a penguin
To many people, 1989's 'Dead Poets Society' with the late-great Robin Williams is pretty much the perfect movie. But it appears that you can actually improve upon perfection, as 'The Penguin Lessons' takes a similar basic concept and throws in a truly adorable aquatic bird. Flying into theatres back in March (yes, I'm aware penguins are flightless birds, just go with it), 'The Penguin Lesson' stars the loveable Steve Coogan and is a sweet tale of unexpected friendship between a grumpy educator and a wayward aquatic creature. It returned only a modest sum at the global box office, but I expect it's about to enjoy a surge in popularity as it arrives on Netflix this weekend (July 26). It seems primed to charm the streaming service's subscriber base and is the perfect feel-good watch when you need a lift. Based on a true story, it's one of my favorite easy-watching movies of the year, and if you're looking for a Netflix movie full of charm and heart-warming moments, look no further. Set in the 1970s, 'The Penguin Lessons' opens with English teacher Tom Michell (Steve Cooage) moving to Argentina to teach at an exclusive all-boys school overseen by Headmaster Timothy Buckle (Jonathan Pryce). He arrives at a time of significant political upheaval in the South American country, and faces a classroom full of generally uninterested students. During a school closure, he takes a trip to Uruguay and discovers a lost penguin in an oil slick. He rescues it and brings it back to his hotel room. Michell's attempts to free himself of the bird prove tricky when the penguin refuses to leave his side. So with little choice, he reluctantly adopts the penguins, which he names Juan. This proves to be a life-changing decision as he forms a close bond with his unconventional pet. There's nothing inherently original about 'The Penguin Lessons'' core formula. There are numerous movies about an initially cantankerous figure softening up as they allow a new friend (or sometimes romantic partner) into their lives. But what 'The Penguin Lesson' lacks in originality, it makes up for in sheer spirit. It's an optimistic tale of finding the joy in life. While it's certainly not above manipulating your emotions, 'The Penguin Lessons' has plenty of gentle chuckles throughout, and I have no doubt many viewers will come away having shed a tear or two (or more). But its overall message is one of hope and of finding friends to help you out. Steven Coogan is well cast in the lead role of Tom Michell. It plays up the grumpy side of Michell's personality well, but even from the start, you can tell that underneath the sarcasm, there is a sweet soul just waiting to be unlocked. And oh boy, does Juan manage to do so. Perhaps where 'The Penguin Lesson' falls most is in its central setting of 1970s Argentina during the country's coup d'état. Last year's Oscar-winning 'I'm Still Here' took on the subject matter of a military coup in 1960s Brazil with steely determination, but here, the Argentine military coup isn't handled with the same appropriate force. It is touched upon often and informs several character motivations and arcs, but it does, on occasion, feel like the harsh realities of that period of history are glossed over in favour of charming scenes spent with a penguin. On the flipside, there's something to be said for a movie displaying that even in the darkest of times, there are rays of light. Just don't expect a rousing speech that matches the iconic ones delivered by Williams as John Keating in 'Dead Poets Society,' but in 'The Penguin Lessons,' you'll find a charming story, a strong leading performance, and a sidekick that will have you googling penguin adoption (No, you can't keep a penguin as a pet. I checked already). Over on Rotten Tomatoes, 'The Penguin Lessons' was largely well-received. It holds a 76% score from critics, which is enough for a 'Certified Fresh' seal of approval. Reviewers praised Coogan's performance and the lightly humorous tone, but criticism was levied at the movie's handling of real-life history. Meanwhile, viewers were seriously charmed by this one. 'The Penguin Lessons' has a 95% rating on the Popcornmeter (RT's audience rating metric), with recent reviews calling it 'brilliant, 'a must watch,' and 'absolutely adorable.' I assume that latter praise is referring to Juan Salvador the penguin, or perhaps their celebrity crush is Steve Coogan? While I'm a staunch advocate for seeing as many movies in theatres as possible — 'Fantastic Four: The First Steps' was my 50th cinema trip of 2025 — 'The Penguin Lesson' does feel like a flick that has found a good home on Netflix. It's ideal for a lazy Sunday or when you just need a little pick-me-up, and I suspect it might become a sleeper hit in the library. 'The Penguin Lessons' certainly isn't the only new movie that's been added to Netflix this month. Here's a guide to everything new on Netflix in July 2025 for even more options. Watch "The Penguin Lessons" on Netflix now
