unt inx ▁was ▁nominated ▁for ▁a ▁Young ▁Art ist ▁Award ▁as ▁Best ▁Young ▁Act ress ▁in ▁an ▁International ▁Fe ature ▁Film . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁C ay et ana ▁de ▁los ▁Her os ▁is ▁a ▁lon ely ▁and ▁solemn ▁ 8 - year - old ▁child ▁growing ▁up ▁in ▁Peru ▁during ▁the ▁tur bul ent ▁ 1 9 8 0 s . ▁She ▁is ▁from ▁a ▁wealth ier ▁middle - class ▁family ▁and ▁even ▁has ▁a ▁ch auff eur ▁drive ▁her ▁to ▁and ▁from ▁school . ▁Her ▁parents ▁are ▁divor ced , ▁and ▁she ▁hardly ▁ever ▁sees ▁her ▁dis inter ested ▁father , ▁the ▁qu int ess ential ▁Lat ino ▁play boy , ▁much ▁to ▁her ▁dis may . ▁Instead , ▁she ▁res ides ▁with ▁her ▁rem ar ried ▁mother ▁and ▁step father ▁in ▁a ▁g ated ▁property ▁on ▁the ▁out sk ir ts ▁of ▁Lima , ▁c ared ▁for ▁primarily ▁by ▁servants ▁while ▁they ▁travel ▁abroad . ▁ ▁The ▁film ▁begins ▁with ▁a ▁picture ▁show ▁and ▁an ▁un seen ▁narr ator ▁rec ount ing ▁the ▁fatal ▁sacrific es ▁former ▁Per uv ian ▁military ▁leaders ▁made ▁for ▁their ▁country . ▁The ▁scene ▁then ▁cut s ▁to ▁a ▁class room ▁full ▁of ▁girls ▁as ▁a ▁sir en ▁suddenly ▁goes ▁off ▁and ▁the ▁children ▁are ▁ev acu ated ▁from ▁the ▁building . ▁A ▁driver ▁pick s ▁her ▁up ▁from ▁school ▁referring ▁to ▁her ▁as ▁Miss ▁C ay et ana , ▁but ▁she ▁is ▁unf az ed ▁by ▁the ▁status ▁and ▁remains ▁mostly ▁silent ▁on ▁the