black market

His masterpiece 'To Live and Die in L.A.' is a visceral exploration of counterfeit currency networks and the moral ambiguity between law enforcement and criminal underworlds.

Films like 'Babel' and 'Biutiful' unflinchingly depict illegal smuggling, human trafficking, and the desperation driving participation in black market economies across borders.

His works, particularly in the 1970s-80s, examined underground economies, drug trafficking, and survival within illicit subcultures with raw emotional and political intensity.