International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam

Synopsis

They came to the United States to provide a better life for their children. Reality turned out differently. The parents of Perla, Victor and Zulema can use any help they can get with their hard work on the land. We see how 12-year-old Zulema picks onions in the fierce heat of the sun for more than 12 hours, and only $60 a week. She has been helping her family since the age of seven and goes to work in the fields at 5 a.m. Just like many other families, mostly Mexican, they lead a nomadic life, traveling from state to state. Fourteen-year-old Perla understands the reality of the situation all too well: no money means no school, no school means no job, and no job means no money. She wants to be a lawyer but realizes her chances are slim. How can she ever finish school if she is continually looking for new land to work on? Many of the parents hope that their children's lives will not be as hard as their own. When Zulema's mother sends her to Florida to attend school, it looks like her luck might have changed.