20,000 Species of Bees

2023 [SPANISH]

Action / Drama

Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 77% · 43 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 77%
IMDb Rating 7.0/10 10 4652 4.7K

transsexuality trans intimate intense powerful

Plot summary

Lucía is an eight-year-old girl, who sometimes struggles as the world tries to catch up with the fact that she is trans. As the summer holidays pass, she explores her femininity alongside the women of her family who at the same time reflect on their own femininity.

Director

Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren Photo
Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren

Top cast

Patricia López Arnaiz Photo
Patricia López Arnaiz as Ane
Ane Gabarain Photo
Ane Gabarain as Lourdes
Goize Blanco Photo
Goize Blanco as Dependienta Maider
Itziar Lazkano Photo
Itziar Lazkano as Lita
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
1.15 GB
1280*690
Spanish 2.0
NR
Subtitles es  
24 fps
2 hr 7 min
Seeds 2
2.13 GB
1920*1036
Spanish 2.0
NR
Subtitles es  
24 fps
2 hr 7 min
Seeds 11

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by elision10 8 / 10

Affecting

As an old, conservative, straight man who rolls his eyes when he hears "What are your pronouns?, I'm not the prime target of a movie about a young boy of confused sexuality. But I greatly enjoyed the film. If this were a Hollywood treatment of the topic, the father would be an alcoholic, former Marine with PTSAD who keeps screaming at the kid "Act like a man." But all the characters here, while not equally sympathetic, are never reduced to such stereotypes. They are all terribly human, struggling how to deal with a situation that baffles and upsets them. The extended family is introduced to us, and its history and skeletons in the closet are explored. The film is likely too long, and it would have been better served by a more severe editor or tighter script. But it's certainly a rewarding two hours and well recommended.
Reviewed by CinemaSerf 7 / 10

20,000 Species of Bees

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.
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