JEFFREY

When he’s not washing strangers’ windshields to help pay the rent, Jeffrey dreams of stardom as a reggaetón singer. At just 12 years old, he’s determined his days of dodging traffic to earn a handful of pesos are coming to an end. Jeffrey pours his soul into self-written rhymes about growing up in his troubled neighborhood and lively dance routines he hopes will lead to his first big break. Although he and his family face a bleak, impoverished home life in the streets of the Dominican Republic with scarce food and touch-and-go electricity, Jeffrey somehow maintains the wholesome innocence of a child. The simplicity of a game of cops and robbers or an afternoon spent on the limbs of a tree allows Jeffrey’s imagination to run wild. But even in his bravest moments, Jeffrey knows the path to his new future is a steep, uphill battle. In this touching portrayal of hope against all odds, JEFFREY reminds us how to dream fearlessly even when the world warns otherwise. (In Spanish with subtitles) —A.B.