Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio gained international recognition for her role in Roma, directed by Alfonso Cuarón, which got her an Oscar nomination.

Now, Aparicio is not in a leading role, but will serve as executive producer of the new thriller Bonded. The film stars fellow Mexican actor Diego Calva (known for his role in Babylon) alongside Alfredo Castro (The Club), Paulina Gaitán (Narcos) and Jason Patric (The Lost Boys).

Bonded is inspired by the 1995 El Monte California sweatshop raid. It follows a young Mexican man who aspires to become a soccer star. However, those dreams are dashed when he is smuggled across the border and sold to a sweatshop in Los Angeles. Bonded, directed by Mohit Ramchandani, will premiere worldwide at California's Mammoth Film Festival on March 5, 2023.

“Emotionally, it’s very impactful,” Aparicio said about the film. “The script is incredible. It’s a movie that keeps you present, always wondering what’s going to happen next. I’m proud to be part of such an important and thought-provoking film," she told Variety. The actress and now executive producer will work alongside Axel Kuschevatzky.

“What makes Bonded unique is that it is a social drama wrapped up in a genre film with gripping horror and action sequences that keep you on the edge of your seat. At the same time, as a Latino, it's hard not to think about how many more cases like Bonded exist and what are we going to do about it," she continued.

With the new role as executive producer, Aparicio takes another step up in her film career.

After Roma, Aparicio was included in TIME magazine's list of 100 most influential people in 2019 and continued working on film projects including the movie Presencias and Midnight Family, the first Spanish TV series on Apple TV+.