Salma Hayek and Jose Tamez Tackle Trans Acceptance and Mexican Traditions in Christmas Film ‘El Sabor de la Navidad’

variety.com:

Sophia Scorziello editor It’s December in Mexico City in “El Sabor de la Navidad,” where fake Santas, queso relleno and karaoke machines are all just smoke and mirrors covering over the true meaning of Christmas.

Helmed by Alejandro Lozano, this endearing Spanish-language Christmas film intertwines three separate stories of families and friends grappling between tradition and progression, trying to discern which is most important.

Ahead of the film’s global premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, producers Salma Hayek Pinault and Jose Tamez spoke with Variety about Ventanarosa, their production company, which is behind the film, creating films for Spanish-speaking audiences and their latest joint endeavor. “We enjoy what we do, and we take pride in what we do,” Hayek Pinault says about the work at Ventanarosa. “The last project we did, ‘Santa Evita,’ I think we won everything, no, Pepe?” (Everyone, including Hayek Pinault, refers to Tamez as Pepe.) While maybe not everything, Ventanarosa’s 2022 Hulu original “Santa Evita,” about the life and death of Eva Perón, took home over a dozen awards. “We believe in projects that represent the community in the right way, but also makes them think, makes them feel proud of who we are,” Hayek Pinault adds. “And we do it under very challenging budgets.” And with “El Sabor de la Navidad,” Hayek Pinault and Tamez were able to do just that.

The film tackles numerous modern-day challenges, whether it’s trying to get through to a terminally online generation, trans acceptances or navigating class differences.