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America Ferrera is already an Emmy and Golden Globe winner, but she’s about to add another accomplishment to her growing resume.
The actress is set to make her feature directorial debut with an adaptation of the New York Times bestselling novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.
Anonymous Content and MACRO are producing the film while the novel’s author, Erika Sánchez, will serve as a co-producer. The project is set to be released on Netflix. Linda Yvette Chávez, the co-creator behind Gentefied--which stars America Ferrera--adapted the screenplay.
The story, which was released in 2017, follows Julia Reyes, a precocious and strong-willed teenaged daughter of first-generation Mexican immigrants. She often clashes with her more traditional parents, who wish she were more like her sister Olga, the platonic ideal of a Mexican daughter. However, when Olga is killed in a tragic accident, it is up to Julia to hold her family together.
Ferrera posted about the opportunity to Instagram, talking about her decision to get involved in the project and expressing her gratitude for everyone involved.
“I am beside myself with gratitude and excitement,” she wrote under a screenshot of the headline via Deadline. “Years ago, I fell in love with the stunning novel #IAmNotYourPerfectMexicanDaughter. The depth, wit and searing intelligence of @erikalsanchez’s writing, and her young Latina heroine, struck me to my core and left me wanting so much more. I am truly honored and humbled to direct @lindayvettechavez’s beautifully adapted screenplay.”
America continued, writing, “The opportunity to direct the work of these two incredibly talented Latina writers is a dream come true. I can’t wait to share this film with the many fans of the novel, and to introduce this funny, profound, and resonant story to the world. Thank you @netflix @staymacro @anoncontent @aevitascreative for entrusting me with this gorgeous project. Let’s Go!!”
Chávez also spoke on the project, highlighting that fact that she, herself, is an “imperfect Mexican daughter” that “turned out pretty good after all.”
“I’m just an imperfect Mexican daughter feeling pretty honored to have adapted for the screen the work of another brilliant imperfect Mexican daughter to be directed by a brilliant imperfect Honduran daughter,” she wrote. on Instagram. “Actually, you know what? Maybe we all turned out pretty good after all. Don’t you think @americaferrera and @erikalsanchez ? Yeah, not so bad after all. 😉”