IN A NUTSHELL: ALL THE WORLD IS SLEEPING follows Chama (Melissa Barrera), who as a young girl in New Mexico, strived to be different from her mother. Now in her twenties, she's found herself falling into a similar cycle of generational addiction. This struggle then threatens her balance as a mother to her own daughter. As Chama tries to keep it all together, a harrowing accident will spiral her out of control, causing her daughter to be taken from her custody. With nothing left, she'll have to confront her past in order to fight for a future - one that can either guide her closer to getting her daughter back or lead her deeper into this dangerous cycle.

The film was written and directed by Ryan Lacen.

In 2017, a reproductive justice-based non-profit, Bold Futures NM, gathered 7 system-impacted women with a history of substance use and pregnancy to create an artistic medium that would explore the complexities of trauma, substance use, and parenting in New Mexico. Over the course of several months and hours of conversation and community building, the insight derived through this facilitated group process evolved into the foundation of an unlikely feature film highlighting characters with authenticity and heart.

This unique film was created with the aim of pushing back against the stigma faced by pregnant women and people living through addiction. ALL THE WORLD IS SLEEPING sheds light on the realities of addiction and the resources that are so desperately needed for families living in cycles of addiction.

This film centers on the complex role of motherhood, addresses generational cycles of addiction, and beautifully highlights a community that is not often represented in films. As a filmmaker whose own life has also been scarred by addiction, Ryan Lacen helped bring a unique cinematic lens while shaping these stories to create a film that would feel both singularly raw and universally connected.

The film's main character, Chama, played by the talented actress Melissa Barrera, is an imaginative composite of the seven Women that encompasses elements of their bravery and struggles all while exposing the arduous circumstances they have endured. Barrera, along with co-star Jackie Cruz, worked with the mothers on and off set to authentically capture and represent their truth.

Throughout production and post-production, the seven mothers remained an integral part of guiding the film to completion. This film is an extraordinary collaboration merging the worlds of non-profit grit and movie glamour all while working alongside a community eager to see their story represented on the big screen.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: This is NOT appropriate for children.

People talk very ugly to each other TONS of profanity, including many F-bombs We see shoplifting We see a topless woman.

A man talks about being gay.

A woman flips the bird.

Talk of assault A woman overdoses on drugs and goes to the hospital. Another woman ODs and dies.kay.

To see my full review, go to my YouTube channel called Movie Review Mom!

Not an easy watch, but an important one. There are many films that tackle drug addiction, which makes sense because most of our homes or homes of friends or loved ones, struggle with addiction. This film takes on the subject matter in a way that feels more cerebral. The scenes unfold like a collision of memories (some positive, some traumatic) that tell the present story of Chama (played by powerhouse Melissa Barrera). She's struggling to keep her life together not only for herself but for her young daughter. To complicate matters are the memories of her mother (the wonderful Lisandra Tena) and her best friend (Jackie Cruz in an electric performance). This film was at times subtle but often in your face. It stays consistently unique and powerful, in a way that lingers on your mind for days afterward.

Chama (Melissa Barrera) is struggling. She is struggling to get a job. She is struggling to be a single mom to her young daughter. Most of all, she is struggling with drug addiction. She is struggling to not follow her mother's footsteps. With her drug buddy Toaster (Jackie Cruz), she descends into darkness and finds help from drug counsellor Nick (Jorge Garcia).

This story is not terribly new. This is perfectly fine. Barrera is a beautiful Mexican actress who is doing the down and dirty acting here. The main drawback is the running time. It's too long for the amount of plot. The story is pretty simple. The character study is also rather simple. Hurley does add a bit of interest just when the movie is stalling out. The movie is too long by at least fifteen minutes.