A pair of orphaned siblings chase the American dream on the streets of New York in this muted but hard-hitting realist drama.

Headstrong and street-smart, 12-year-old Dominican-American Alejandro lives with his older sister in the top store room of a junkyard garage in Queens' Iron Triangle neighbourhood, aptly named after the rows of car shops outside Shea Stadium. He has had to grow up fast to get by on the tough streets of Queens', taking any work he can from local body shops and construction sites, to support himself and his sister. Together they dream of opening their own food cart to build a better life for themselves, but for the moment all they can do is scrape together enough food to live off. Director Ramin Bahrani has delivered a gritty portrayal of working class life and the dashed attempts to live out the American Dream. The end result is a beautiful, emotional and satisfying piece of work.