After her child is taken away by Social Services, single mother Ashley struggles to get him back. The faded Texan beauty blames everyone but herself for her misfortune. An unexpected trip to Mexico leads her to face her inner demons. As a consequence of her desperate choices Rosa, a young Mexican girl, crosses Ashley’s  path forcing her to take responsibility for her actions. Ashley and Rosa embark in a journey that will change their lives forever, as they glance into each other’s worlds.

Writer/ director David Riker developed a story where he wanted to focus on the human aspect of the border. “I began to imagine a film not simply about the borders of geography, but about human borders – of class, culture, attitudes and ideas. This was the starting point for The Girl,” Riker explains. He wanted to stay away from the extreme violence and exploitation often related to such harsh subjects. “I am not interested in the most sensational or violent aspects of the crossing, and have avoided those stories that grab headlines. It is a story of people whose lives are changed by crossing the border in both directions,” he added.

Abbie Cornish (Limitless, Soccer Punch) takes the challenge of playing Ashley Colton, a woman that struggles with finding her purpose in such a chaotic environment. “I loved the political nature of the film. It was told in such an intimate scale. I also felt a really strong connection to Ashley’s journey. I loved the journey of a woman coming into womanhood, into motherhood and an American’s journey into Mexico and what that did for her life,” she said when asked what interested her about this project. For this role the Australian actor, not only mastered a subtle south Texan accent, but she also learned Spanish, as her character is bilingual. “The biggest hurdle for me was how to embrace this other language and learn as much as I can in only these three months that I have and in the three months of shooting. To the point it is coming out of me as if it is a part of me. Then melt that with the Texas accent to make one voice,” Cornish explained.

To play Rosa, Ashley’s young counterpart, the director cast the Oaxaca native Maritza Santiago Hernandez, because he wanted a girl with a similar background to the character. He also needed someone that had a strong enough presence to work alongside Cornish and enhance the power of the story. After seeing more than 3,000 girls, Riker finally found in Santiago Hernandez the essential qualities he was looking for.

The Girl deconstructs the myth of the American Dream depicting the complexities and the diversity within the U.S- Mexico border, through the eyes of a Caucasian American, retracing the immigrant’s journey (starting in Texas, US and ending in Oaxaca Mexico) and showing another angle on the subject of immigration. In this film, Riker describes a dream that is not only denied to those who cross the border illegally, but also to those Americans who cannot afford it.

Now Playing in New York
Opens in Los Angeles this Friday March 15th

Sundance Sunset Cinema
8000 West Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA

AMC Loews Broadway 4
1441 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA

AMC Orange 30
20 City Blvd West, Orange, CA

Edwards Regal University 6
4245 Campus Drive. Irvine CA. 92612