The Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences announced today that Tótem, the second feature film by director Lila Avilés, will represent the country in the international competition at the 96th edition of the Academy Awards.
Tótem, which had its world premiere in the official competition at the Berlin Film Festival and has played at New Directors/New Films and Telluride, tells the story of seven-year-old Sol, who spends the day at her grandfather’s home, helping with the preparations for a surprise party for her father. Throughout the day, chaos slowly takes over, fracturing the family’s foundations. Sol will embrace the essence of letting go as a release for existence.
This marks the second time that Avilés represents Mexico at the Oscars, after her debut feature The Chambermaid / La camarista in 2019. Mexico has earned nine nominations for best international film—previously known as best motion picture in a foreign language—and won its first statuette with Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma in 2018.
