The Sleepwalkers (Los sonámbulos) by acclaimed writer-director Paula Hernández has been selected as Argentina’s candidate in the International Feature Film competition at the 93rd edition of the Academy Awards®.

A poignant and engaging drama about a family in crisis framed by the fraught relationship between a mother and her daughter, the film boasts a terrific cast featuring Érica Rivas (Wild Tales), Luis Ziembrowski (The Boss, Anatomy of a Crime), Marilú Marini (Trouble Every Day), Daniel Hendler (The Moneychanger), and the fantastic newcomer Ornella D’Elía—who was nominated for Breakthrough Actress in both of Argentina’s main film awards, the Silver Condor and Sur awards.

The Sleepwalkers tells the story of Luisa, who is spending her New Year’s holiday with her husband and her 14-year-old daughter—Ana, a sleepwalker during a critical point of adolescence—at her mother-in-law’s country house with other family members. But what was hoped to be a leisurely summer vacation explodes as Luisa and Ana contend with pressures pushing them to their limits.

Following its acclaimed world premiere in the Platform competition at the Toronto International Film Festival, the independent Argentine film successfully played at numerous international film festivals including San Sebastian, AFI Fest, Chicago, and Miami, and was the winner of 15 film awards, including for Best Film, Best Actress, and Best Screenplay at the Havana Film Festival.

With five feature films, Hernández has built a solid and exciting filmography, making her one of the most outstanding and prolific female directors of her generation in Latin America. With The Sleepwalkers, she’s hoping to become the second Argentine female director to get nominated for an Oscar® in the international competition (after María Luisa Bemberg’s Camila in 1984).