Emotionally distraught from losing custody of her son Georgie and running out of options to earn a living to win him back, single mother Ashley (Abbie Cornish) becomes desperate when she loses her job at a local Austin megastore. So when the risky opportunity arises to become a coyote—smuggling illegal immigrants over the Texas border—she takes it. The harrowing experience results in unforeseen rewards and consequences, as Ashley forges an intense bond with a young Mexican girl who forces her to confront her past, accept the mistakes she's made, and look to the future.

An Independent Spirit and Gotham Award winner for his neo-realist film La Ciudad, director David Riker returns with the emotionally devastating The Girl. Riker's desolate, Texan-Mexican landscape provides a haunting setting for his story of loss and regret. Fleshing out a woman incapable of handling life's demands and the responsibilities of motherhood, Cornish brings poignant depth to a hopeless Ashley, whose struggles would be made much easier if she could ever learn to forgive herself.

Directed by

David Riker and David Riker