Robert M. Young, who has made a cottage industry of "small" atmospheric films, made his directorial debut in 1977's ALAMBRISTA!. Domingo Ambriz plays a young Mexican man who crosses illegally into the U.S. The birth of an additional child convinces him that they need more than he can earn on his small farm. Each employment opportunity ultimately evolves into a heartbreak thanks to the exploitative practices of Ambriz's American employers.