Plot

Welcome to America. The U.S. government has mandated the construction of a 2,000-mile long wall along the U.S./Mexico border and many Americans sport bumper stickers on their vehicles with slogans like, "Stop the Invasion." Una Vida Mejor (A Better Life) follows three families, each participating in the American experience, and each searching for their own version of the American dream. Two of the families have crossed the Mexican border illegally, and entered the United States in the midst of this social and political unrest. The film beautifully weaves the lives of these families together, forming a uniquely American tapestry of love, loss, and hardship. As the drama unfolds, the individual humanity behind the stark statistics and political rhetoric of the immigration issue is revealed and we find that the border between "right" and "wrong" is hopelessly blurred.—Jolyn Schleiffarth

Three desperate families find their quest for a better life in the United States challenged by prejudice and injustice in director Andrew James' harsh critique of the American Dream. It seems that one can't turn on the radio or television without hearing staggering statistics and harsh political rhetoric about illegal immigration, but buried somewhere deep in all of the media static is the fact that every single person on the planet shares the fundamental human desire to provide themselves and their families with the best life possible. For three families who successfully manage to make their way across the border and into the United States, the harrowing trip through an unforgiving landscape was only the beginning of their treacherous journey. How does one survive in a place where right has become wrong, and the perpetrator is now the victim? Some turn to crime, inadvertently falling into a vicious cycle with the power to destroy families and consume lives before they've even had a chance to prove themselves.—Jason Buchanan

Three desperate families find their quest for a better life in the United States challenged by prejudice and injustice in director Andrew James' harsh critique of the American Dream. It seems that one can't turn on the radio or television without hearing staggering statistics and harsh political rhetoric about illegal immigration, but buried somewhere deep in all of the media static is the fact that every single person on the planet shares the fundamental human desire to provide themselves and their families with the best life possible. For three families who successfully manage to make their way across the border and into the United States, the harrowing trip through an unforgiving landscape was only the beginning of their treacherous journey. How does one survive in a place where right has become wrong, and the perpetrator is now the victim? Some turn to crime, inadvertently falling into a vicious cycle with the power to destroy families and consume lives before they've even had a chance to prove themselves.

~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide