diff --git a/ch04/imports/movielens/import_movielens.py b/ch04/imports/movielens/import_movielens.py
index 8f8d145..a40694a 100644
--- a/ch04/imports/movielens/import_movielens.py
+++ b/ch04/imports/movielens/import_movielens.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ def __init__(self, argv):
 
     def import_movies(self, file):
         print("import movies")
-        with open(file, 'r+') as in_file:
+        with open(file, 'r+', encoding='utf-8') as in_file:
             reader = csv.reader(in_file, delimiter=',')
             next(reader, None)
             with self._driver.session() as session:
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ def import_movies(self, file):
 
     def import_movie_details(self, file):
         print("Importing details of movies")
-        with open(file, 'r+') as in_file:
+        with open(file, 'r+', encoding='utf-8') as in_file:
             reader = csv.reader(in_file, delimiter=',')
             next(reader, None)
             with self._driver.session() as session:
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ def process_movie_info(self, tx, movie_info, movie_id):
                 "writers": writers, "producers": producers})
 
     def import_user_item(self, file):
-        with open(file, 'r+') as in_file:
+        with open(file, 'r+', encoding='utf-8') as in_file:
             reader = csv.reader(in_file, delimiter=',')
             next(reader, None)
             with self._driver.session() as session:
diff --git a/ch04/imports/movielens/import_movielens_parallel.py b/ch04/imports/movielens/import_movielens_parallel.py
index 01d5052..96692a0 100644
--- a/ch04/imports/movielens/import_movielens_parallel.py
+++ b/ch04/imports/movielens/import_movielens_parallel.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ def __init__(self, argv):
         self._print_lock = threading.Lock()
 
     def import_movies(self, file):
-        with open(file, 'r+') as in_file:
+        with open(file, 'r+', encoding='utf-8') as in_file:
             reader = csv.reader(in_file, delimiter=',')
             next(reader, None)
             with self._driver.session() as session:
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def import_movies(self, file):
                 print(j, "lines processed")
 
     def import_user_item(self, file):
-        with open(file, 'r+') as in_file:
+        with open(file, 'r+', encoding='utf-8') as in_file:
             reader = csv.reader(in_file, delimiter=',')
             next(reader, None)
             with self._driver.session() as session:
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ def import_user_item(self, file):
                 print(j, "lines processed")
 
     def import_movie_details(self, file):
-        with open(file, 'r+') as in_file:
+        with open(file, 'r+', encoding='utf-8') as in_file:
             reader = csv.reader(in_file, delimiter=',')
             next(reader, None)
             with self._driver.session() as session: