Director: Jesse Quinones
Despite life's many disappointments Byrd (Andre Royo, The Wire) still believes in the promise of the American Dream. In the powerfully moving drama CALLOUSED HANDS, he battles his addictions and the recession to get a shot at happiness.
Out of work for six months in a poverty-stricken area of Miami, Byrd places his hopes in get-rich-quick scams that leave him poorer than he started. He is slowly losing the support of his girlfriend Debbie (Daisy Haggard) and her son Josh (Luca oriel), who shows prodigious talent on the baseball field. Byrd trains Josh relentlessly in the backyard, hoping the young kid's skills will translate into cash. As they fall behind in paying their bills, and with Josh showing more interest in studying Judaism than athletics, Byrd reverts to the abusive behavior of his violent and drug-addled past, threatening the lives of those he loves. Will Byrd lose everything or keep flying high with no place to land?
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