Full Synopsis

Mariana Cabal, a young mother raising two children in a squalid neighborhood of Bogotá, Colombia, is determined to reunite with her husband, Antonio. He has preceded their move to the United States, trying to build some sense of economic stability. With her children, Gabriel, age 9, and Andrea, age 5, Mariana illegally crosses the border in search of her husband and her dream… to one day provide her children with a better life.

Her reunion with Antonio is a joyous one, yet Mariana and the kids soon find themselves at Antonio’s small, poorly-furnished apartment in Korea Town, Queens. They are disheartened by his apparent lack of stability. For Antonio, their undeniable disappointment is more than he can stand.

One night not long after this arrival, Antonio returns home drunk and tells Mariana that he is leaving for Miami to find a better job. Mariana explodes with anger. She has endured peril and hardship to reunite the family, and she does not want to see it broken once again. She yearns for the day when the family has settled down, her children are enrolled in school, and she can pursue her passion for cooking, perhaps by opening a small restaurant. The simple pleasures of hard-working life. Yet, Antonio tells her that his mind is made up and that he will send for them from Miami, when he finds work. Antonio leaves.

Many days go by, and Mariana does not hear from him. She slowly comes to realize that Antonio has not only left them but abandoned them. With no more than fifty dollars to her name, Mariana must provide for her family, while lost in a country that is completely foreign to her.

Mariana turns to her passion for cooking. She makes homemade empanadas (meat patties) and attempts to sell them on the busy streets of Korea Town. This fails, however, and it becomes clear to her that her dreams will have to be put aside: complete selflessness is the price for her family’s survival. She will have to make due with hope. With mounting desperation, she joins the women who gather daily on Queens’ street-corners, trying to find menial work. This fails, too. With options closing in on her, Mariana turns to the city’s trash to feed her family. With Gabriel and Andrea beside her, tirelessly collecting cans, the family establishes the only stability they have had since their arrival to America. Despite this challenging and humbling experience, the family uncovers finer aspects of humanity amidst poverty and begins to build towards their dreams of opportunity in America.