Feature 95min
USA English 2007

Directed by: Brian Petersen
Written by: Brian Petersen, Brett Spackman
Cast: Brian Petersen, Brett Spackman, Carley Adams, Marina Valle, Oswaldo Hernandez, David C. Thompson,
Genesis Curiel.
Cinematography: Robb Hanks
Edited by: Brett Spackman
Music by: Christopher Brady

Synopsis: The Mexican-American border is a hot zone for controversy. For some it’s a wall that needs to be defended and strengthened, for others it’s a gateway to jobs that help support families back home in Mexico, and for two good friends - Steve [Brian Petersen] and J. [Brett Spackman] - it’s a way to make quick money smuggling people across the border.

Steve is a risk taker. He has experienced success in the business world and lives a comfortable life, financially.  J., a Mexican-American, is struggling to be a success and is reaching for the American dream, but hasn’t shared Steve’s success. When they find out that their undocumented buddy Pablo has been deported, they decide to try and smuggle him back across the border. They build a compartment in the back of J.’s truck, pick Pablo up, and drive him straight through the Mexico-US border.

Surprised at how easy the process was, the friends listen with interest as Pablo tells them that he knows plenty of people in Mexico who would pay well for such a service.  For J., this is finally a way to financial success. For Steve, it’s another challenge to overcome as well as a way to cure the boredom of early retirement.  Money, for Steve, is the juice.

J. and Steve soon become professional human smugglers, or “Coyotes,” running a lucrative side-business for tax-free cash.  But as the business consumes more of their time, the guys find this supposed “quick scheme” is affecting them each in deep, personal ways. The obsessive Steve is driven further away from his loving, beautiful fiancée, Katie [Carly Adams], while J. is re-introduced to the culture of his childhood, and is brought close to a young Mexican woman, Mariana [Marina Valle].

Soon, bringing immigrants across one at a time just doesn’t seem like enough. They decide to expand and become the “good coyotes”.  They begin printing up professional brochures and even offer different packages consisting of not only transport, but also jobs, and connections once they reach the U.S. The new approach brings in more business than ever: bigger groups, better smuggling routes, and additional employees who conduct the runs in place of J. and Steve. But successful expansion also means increased attention both from the DHS (Department of Homeland Security) and from rival gangs that wish to violently defend their turf. While they are making more money than ever, the cost appears to be more than they bargained for and there’s no easy way out.

http://themexicandream.com/index.php

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