Padre Nuestro

In this winner of the Dramatic Competition prize in Sundance 2007, Juan and Pedro meet in the back of a tractor-trailer filled with illegal Mexican immigrants, headed for New York City. Pedro shows Juan a sealed letter given to him by his dead mother: an introduction to the father he never knew, who is now a wealthy restaurant owner in New York. Juan’s father left him when he was four, with two things: a switchblade and the scar it made on his chest. When the truck arrives in Brooklyn, Pedro wakes to find he’s alone, and his belongings, including the letter with his father’s address, is stolen. He is cast onto the streets, unable to speak the language, lost in an unknown city.

Juan, introduces himself to Pedro’s father, Diego, claiming to be his long lost son. But Diego, as it turns out, is not a wealthy restaurant owner, but a miserly dishwasher, who stashes all his money away. He immediately disowns Juan, who persists in trying to win him over by maintaining the image of the hardworking, devoted son. But rather than working during the day as he claims he is doing, Juan prowls about Diego’s apartment, searching for the hidden stash.

In the meantime, Pedro meets Magda, a Spanish-speaking street-urchin. She offers help, all the while repeatedly taking advantage of his miserable situation. In the end, Pedro must choose whether to abide by his principles or heed Magda’s ruthless logic of the street, to “look out for number one.” With every day that Pedro gets closer to finding Diego, Juan gets closer to finding the money.