7 Soles

When it comes to the journey over to America, so often we hear the side of the undocumented immigrants. But what about the people smuggling them over, the coyotes? A new movie by Mexican writer/director Pedro Ultreras (a former journalist who was also nominated for an Emmy) seeks to change that. Through 7 Soles, he tells the story of two human smugglers with very different objectives. El Negro (played by Gustavo Sanchez Parra) has been in the business for a while and is looking to escape without his bosses noticing. Gavilan is a young and ambitious guy hired by El Negro's bosses to keep an eye on him.

While these two battle it out, the ones who suffer are those making the grueling journey for "7 soles" (or seven days, the average time it takes to cross the Arizona desert). It's a powerful tale told from an unexpected perspective. Though largely fictional, the movie is inspired by the hundreds of real accounts that Ultreras heard throughout his 16-year career as a journalist.

7 Soles is out today on DVD from Venevision International.