Hey Joe provides a glimpse into the life of a Mexican-American teenager, who struggles to and eventually must come to terms with his innate relationship to law enforcement and—himself. The film explores the idea that systemic racism continues to be a significant issue in our country, impacting people of color in real and painful ways. The titular character, Joe, is a fieldworker, friend and warm person, who unfortunately struggles with the fact that he cannot change an immutable characteristic (skin color), which makes him a target of discrimination.

U.S. vs. Beltran is more relevant than ever. We live in a time of uncertainty where change is a campaign slogan and discrimination is at an all-time high. This is a story about experiencing injustice and/or individuals being wronged by institutions that they were told throughout their lives to place their trust in and have no doubts about their intentions. This is a story about the inherent inequality and disproportion that forces us to question if such a thing as the human condition even exists.