20,000 Species of Bees

Throughout the film, I grew increasingly amazed at the protagonist's acting - especially for an 8-year-old, she has an immense ability to convey deep emotions on a level I have not seen a child of that age do (at least not that I remember).

The movie itself was a bit of a surprise in the beginning, since I had not read the description and thought it would be a documentary about bees based on the title and picture at the festival I attended. Although very unsuitable for a morning screening considering the intense emotions and drama, it was an overall pleasant surprise that ingrained itself even deeper when I witnessed some of the audience crying and embracing one another after the screening. The film clearly speaks to what many can relate to in one way or another, and dramatizes this with a heart-throbbing achievement.

Eight-year-old Cocó spends the summer at his maternal grandmother's house. There he does not fit in with the expectations of the rest and he does not understand why. Everyone around her insists on calling, but her but she does not recognize herself in that name or in the eyes of others. During that summer, not only does Cocó experience a transition, but also her disoriented mother and her conservating grandmother.

Winner of the Goya for best novel direction, original screenplay and supporting actress, this film '20.000 especies de abejas' is a luminous, realistic, moving portrait about the search for identity of an 8-year-old trans girl in which young actress Sofía Otero made history at the Berlinale in 2023, becoming the second youngest actress to win the Silver Bear for best performance. Here three women from three different generations face the doubts, fears and renunciations of the past. The story seems very long and at some moments boredom attacks and only thing that keeps some interest is the well-intentioned performances from Patricia López Arnaizi, an actress who never fails, the little Sofía Otero and Ane Gabaraín.

This tiring film belongs to a recent trend in Spanish cinema of making almost documentary films, made on low budgets, and dealing mostly with rural stories, or a few urban ones, and in which the lives of a few characters or families inserted in these environments are described . These films in which hardly anything happens are usually overlong and very heavy and dull, such as: "Verano 1993", "Las niñas", ¨Secaderos¨,¨O corno¨, "Libertad" and most of them made by women directors, and whose main representive is Carla Simón. All of them heavily financed by the national government, autonomous governments, ICAA, which is not understood as these films made in documentary style, with a camera over the shoulder and with minimal budgets, with no known actors, neither technicians, need so much public financing and state subsidies. This ¨20,000 especies de abejas¨ is no exception, which also turned out to be a tiresome film, with hardly any incidents, with simply contemplative scenes or meaningless and inconsequential conversations and mostly in Basque language.

The film was mediocrely directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren , saving only the performances, and the observation of the work of raising bees, and the work of the starring in the workshop, otherwise all of this is heavy, and tremendously boring. Rating: 3.5/10.

Sort of documentary style filming, lots of camera movement and close ups. Beautifully filmed, although I'd have liked more panoramics of the extraordinary Basque countryside.

I didn't really enjoy the story, although the interaction between the protagonist and his Grandmother and Great Aunt I enjoyed, I´d have milked that more. You don't need to go into gender to create interesting and deep relationships, I wasn't sure if he was a boy or a girl, for me it didn't matter, I just enjoy seeing relationships unfolding, Good movie.but I'd have enjoyed it more if gender hadn't been the main drive of it..

A slow paced family drama which soon becomes a poignant journey of dysphoria, self discovery and accepting one's true self; which has seldom been portrayed with such finesse in the silver screen.

Bit slow to begin with (honestly speaking, I was looking at my watch every 20 mins initially). But once the main storyline developed it never felt boring or slow.

Sofía Otero is outstanding for a 10 year old. So are the actors playing the characters of Mom and Grandma Aunt.

This would probably not go down well with many percentages of the audiences due to it's pacing, lack of suspense and action. But for a cinema lover this is a gem.

Wow! For an actor barely ten years old, this is a masterful performance from Sofía Otero. It's a complex family drama that deals with relationships and identity in a delicate yet potent fashion as a mother "Ane" (Patricia López Arnaiz) leaves her busy husband "Gorka" (Martxelo Rubio) behind and takes their three children on a trip to see her family. Outwardly, they are a normal enough family unit - they have a few financial worries and at times relationships can be a bit strained, but as we get to now them all a bit better, we discover that Otero's character - a young boy ("Aitor") by birth but not by nature is seeking the confidence internally and from those surrounding to truly become "Lucia". Of course this causes consternation amongst the loving, but confused, parents and family at large - apart from her pragmatic and affectionate, beekeeping, great aunt "Lourdes" (Ane Gabarain), who seems to appreciate that the choices being made now by the youngster are visceral and innate. The story allows us to come to our own conclusions about how we might deal with this scenario were we ever to face it - as a child, as a parent, as an extended family member - and, rather effectively here, as a best friend. It has an innocence to it and a poignancy that this young actor encapsulates skilfully and engagingly. Arnaiz, Gabarain and Itziar Lazkano as the grandmother "Lita" all add depth to the characterisations and the narrative here too. It can be a bit on the slow side at times, but somehow that doesn't detract too much from the considered style of storytelling going on here. It's thought-provoking and well worth a watch.