Zoe Saldana Defends 'Colombiana' Against Criticism

Zoe Saldana has responded to long-brewing criticism of her new action film Colombiana, which hit theatres last Friday. Co-written by French film director Luc Besson and directed by Olivier Megaton, Saldana, who is part Dominican and part Puerto Rican, plays a young woman who becomes an assassin after witnessing her parents get murdered. The film’s buzz has not all been positive; members of PorColombia, a nonprofit group, feel that the film uses the country’s armed conflict to advance the plot and plays on stereotypes.

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During Colombiana’s premiere in Miami last week, our September cover girl’s response was firm yet graceful when asked by AOL Latino whether she felt Colombians should be offended by her role in the film. “No. This film does not depict the Colombian culture in any negative way,” the 30-year-old actress said. “Nevertheless, she is more like a heroine who wants to rid the earth of all bad people, and she happens to be of Colombian descent. To me, that is something to be proud of.”

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When she spoke to The Wall Street Journal about criticisms that the film portrays Latinos in a negative light, Saldana’s response was bit more frank. “I don't know, I wish I knew how to address stupid unintelligent comments but I don't,” the actress said. “I'm not a stupid person.” Saldana went on to say that she never likes to get political but it’s a shame how many people there are who think ignorantly.

"She could have been from Puerto Rico, she could have been from Goa, she could have been from China,” Saldana said of her character, Cataleya. “But Luc Besson just wanted her to be from Colombia. Once you watch the movie, it has nothing to do with drugs, it has to do with violence. But violence lives in every city in every corner in every part of the world.”

Saldana addressed the PorColombia controversy directly. “I've been trying to be diplomatic about it because I don't want to be bitter. Why would you think that this was made in such a simple fashion?”