diff --git a/c_src/sqlite3_nif.c b/c_src/sqlite3_nif.c
index af1259c..2658c5e 100644
--- a/c_src/sqlite3_nif.c
+++ b/c_src/sqlite3_nif.c
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ exqlite_open(ErlNifEnv* env, int argc, const ERL_NIF_TERM argv[])
         return enif_make_badarg(env);
     }
 
-    size = enif_get_string(env, argv[0], filename, MAX_PATHNAME, ERL_NIF_LATIN1);
+    size = enif_get_string(env, argv[0], filename, MAX_PATHNAME, ERL_NIF_UTF8);
     if (size <= 0) {
         return make_error_tuple(env, "invalid_filename");
     }
diff --git a/test/exqlite/connection_test.exs b/test/exqlite/connection_test.exs
index 3669380..b733733 100644
--- a/test/exqlite/connection_test.exs
+++ b/test/exqlite/connection_test.exs
@@ -46,6 +46,16 @@ defmodule Exqlite.ConnectionTest do
       assert state.db
     end
 
+    test "connects to a file with an accented character" do
+      path = Temp.path!(prefix: "databasé")
+      {:ok, state} = Connection.connect(database: path)
+
+      assert state.path == path
+      assert state.db
+
+      File.rm(path)
+    end
+
     test "fails to write a file from URL with mode=ro" do
       path = Temp.path!()