First Look: With 'A Better Life,' Chris Weitz moves beyond 'Twilight'

It's part of Los Angeles that's right in front of our eyes and yet totally unseen: the plight of migrant labor, particularly gardeners.

"A Better Life," opening June 24 from Summit Entertainment, has been in development for years, but came together quickly when writer Eric Eason ("A Journey to the End of Night") joined forces with director Chris Weitz ("The Twilight Saga: New Moon").

The film looks at the relationship between illegal immigrant Carlos Galindo (Mexican actor Demián Bichir) and his teenage son, Luis (José Julián). When Carlos’ truck is stolen, the father is powerless to turn to law enforcement, but the crisis brings him closer to his potentially wayward son. Weitz shot the film in about 70 Southern California locations, employing any number of Latino crew members for a movie that contains a significant amount of Spanish dialogue.“It’s a story about a Mexican immigrant,” Weitz says, “a very hard-working man, and the threats to his livelihood and his life."

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