20,000 Species of Bees

2023 2h 7m ES

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 122

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Sofía Otero
Lucía
Patricia López Arnaiz
Ane
Ane Gabarain
Lourdes
Itziar Lazkano
Lita
Martxelo Rubio
Gorka
Sara Cózar
Leire
Miguel Garcés
Jon
Unax Hayden
Eneko

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
Writers: Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
Languages: Basque, French, Spanish
Countries: Spain

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 60% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 3 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Basque, French, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren, shot by Gina Ferrer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Editor Raúl Barreras shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sofía Otero and Patricia López Arnaiz and Ane Gabarain carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren directs. Gina Ferrer behind the camera. Raúl Barreras cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Spain. Dialogue in Basque, French, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Earned back only 60% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 3 years ago.
4Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Basque, French, Spanish.
5Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
6Directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren, shot by Gina Ferrer. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Editor Raúl Barreras shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Sofía Otero and Patricia López Arnaiz and Ane Gabarain carry the top of the cast.
9IMDB entry: tt21113962 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Released under 19 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Gina Ferrer
Editing: Raúl Barreras
Costume design: Nerea Torrijos
Sound: Koldo Corella
Runtime: 127 min · 2h 7m
Status: Released
Budget: $2,000,000
Box office: $1,193,593
Return: 60% of budget
Original language: ES
IMDB: 20,000 Species of Bees (2023)

Awards

Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance
Gaudí Award for Best Non-Catalan Language Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-11-02
★ 7/10
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.

Production companies