20,000 Species of Bees

  • Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
  • Spain
  • 2023
  • 129'
  • 20.000 especies de abejas

“How come you know who you are and I don’t?” asks the eight-year-old heroine of her mother Ana. Her parents named her Aitor, everyone calls her Coco, but she doesn’t feel either name is right for her. When she walks down the street, everyone comments on what a beautiful little girl she is, but family and friends always call her a boy. When her mom takes her to her grandmother’s village, Coco gets close to her old great-aunt, a beekeeper, in whom she finds support and the freedom to choose her own name. 20,000 Species of Bees premiered at Berlinale, where the impressive performance of Sofía Otero (Coco) delighted the audience and critics, becaming the youngest Silver Bear winner in the festival’s history.
Subtitles: EN, HR

Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren

Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (Spain, 1984) graduated in Audiovisual Communication, Editing Theory, and holds a Master in Film Direction and Film Business. Her first feature-length documentary, Voces de papel, premiered at San Sebastián. She has made a series of shorts which screened at festivals around the world. Her most recent short, Cuerdas, received the Rail d’Or at Cannes and was nominated for the 2023 Goya Awards. 20,000 Species of Bees is her feature debut.

20,000 Species of Bees

Director
Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
Screenplay
Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren
Cast
Sofía Otero, Patricia López Arnaiz, Ane Gabarain, Itziar Lazkano, Martxelo Rubio, Sara Cózar, Unax Hayden, Andere Garabieta, Miguel Garcés
DOP
Gina Ferrer García
Editing
Raúl Barreras
Producer
Lara Izagirre Garizurieta, Valérie Delpierre
Production
Gariza Films, Inicia Films
Festivals & Awards
Berlinale – Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance; San Sebastián International Film Festival – Sebastiane Award; BFI London

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