A blunt view into America's soul, found somewhere between plasma TVs and food stamps.

Situated on the Mexican border, Hanna High School is a place of daily tragedies. Cocaine-addicted cheerleaders, patriotic ROTC-students, gang members and Mexican girls in search of a husband, collide in this story. And yet, they have a lot in common. At school, they swear on the American flag, dream of white picket fences and fancy cars, but when they leave reality strikes them like an incurable disease.—Barbara Eder