Santo and Pal left South America in search of the American dream. They were smuggled into Mexico on a 'bluff truck'. Both took a job in a scrap metal plant in Escobedo, Mexico where they managed to save a bit of money in hopes of making their way into the United States. In Escobedo, there was a figure known as 'The Ghost'. He was the go to source for those who wished to cross the border. However, there was a price to pay. He was known to be ruthless and would often allow people to give him a down payment to get into America, with a promise to send the remainder, plus interest. Santo and Pal desperately wanted a way into America and sought out 'The Ghost'. They had enough for a down payment and figured that once in America, they'd get well paying jobs. Smuggled in an airplane parts truck and dumped off at a truck stop near Houston, they hitchhiked and jumped trains eventually making it to the northeast. The film begins in a rundown apartment in Bridgeport, CT where Santo and Pal are awakened by a video camera and gun. X, hired by 'The Ghost', takes Santo and Pal hostage and explains that he is there to collect their payment, with interest. Not having the money, Santo and Pal are terrified. X tells them that if they are willing to make a little film, it will help alleviate their debt. In an act of desperation, they agree.