Land of Gold

 Land of Gold is a 2022 indie drama that follows the unexpected journey of a first-generation Punjabi-American truck driver and a young undocumented Mexican-American girl.

The film earned significant acclaim after winning the 2021 AT&T Untold Stories grand prize at the Tribeca Film Festival, which provided the funding to bring the project to life.

🎬 Plot Summary

The story centers on Kiran (Nardeep Khurmi), a trucker whose wife is 37 weeks pregnant. Anxious about becoming a father and haunted by his own complicated relationship with his alcoholic father, Kiran takes one last cross-country job to Boston.

His life takes a turn when he discovers Elena (Caroline Valencia), a 10-year-old girl, hiding in his shipping container. Instead of turning her over to the authorities—whom he deeply distrusts—Kiran decides to help her find her family. The film serves as a "surrogate parent-child" road trip, exploring themes of:

 * Generational Trauma: Kiran’s struggle to reconcile his past and his future as a father.

 * The Immigrant Experience: The shared vulnerabilities of different immigrant communities in America.

 * Cultural Intersection: The bonding over food, Sikh temples, and the shared feeling of being an "outsider."

🎥 Cast & Crew

 * Director/Writer: Nardeep Khurmi (his directorial debut)

 * Kiran Singh: Nardeep Khurmi

 * Elena: Caroline Valencia

 * Preeti (Kiran’s Wife): Pallavi Sastry

 * Gurinder (Kiran’s Father): Iqbal Theba (known from Glee)

 * Raveena (Kiran’s Mother): Riti Sachdeva

📺 How to Watch (As of 2026)

 * Streaming: The movie is primarily available on Max (formerly HBO Max), where it premiered in May 2023.

 * Rental/Purchase: It can also be found on digital platforms like Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

🏆 Critical Reception

The film is widely praised for its emotional depth and "unvarnished view" of America. It currently holds a high audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes and received a Jury Honorable Mention at the 2022 Bentonville Film Festival. Critics often highlight the chemistry between the two leads and the film's ability to tackle heavy social justice themes with a "sentimental sweetness."

> Note: A 2025/2026 Nollywood film sharing the same title (Land of Gold) exists on YouTube, but it is a separate production starring Toosweet Annan and is not related to the Nardeep Khurmi film.

> 

Would you like me to find a list of similar "road trip" dramas, or perhaps more information on the real-life Sikh trucking community featured in the film?