# 20,000 Species of Bees

20,000 Species of Bees (Spanish: 20.000 especies de abejas) is a 2023 Spanish drama film written and directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren in her debut feature. It stars Sofía Otero, Patricia López Arnaiz, Ane Gabarain, and Itziar Lazkano. The film narrates the story of Lucía, an eight-year-old transgender girl, who is on a quest for identity. During a summer in a village house linked to beekeeping, she explores her femininity alongside the women of her family, who at the same time reflect on their own.
It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 22 February 2023. Nine-year old Sofía Otero won the Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance for the role of Lucía. The film was also nominated for Best Feature Film Teddy Award. Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren, the first feature director was nominated for GWFF Best First Feature Award in the festival. In March 2023, the film won Golden Biznaga for Best Spanish Film at the 26th Málaga Film Festival. It was released in cinemas in Spain on 21 April 2023. The film was shortlisted for submission to 96th Academy Awards as Spanish entry for Best International Feature Film in September 2023.

## Synopsis

The film tells the story of a transgender girl and the effect her identity has on her family.
To help ensure an accurate portrayal, the director worked with Naizen [eu; es], a regional association for the families of transgender minors, and they also provided guidance for Otero.
In the film, the family crosses borders, including the one that separates Bayonne, France from Laudio/Llodio in Spanish Basque Country.

## Cast

* Sofía Otero as Lucía
* Patricia López Arnaiz as Ane
* Ane Gabarain as Lourdes
* Itziar Lazkano [es] as Lita
* Sara Cozar [eu] as Leire
* Martxelo Rubio [es] as Gorka
* Miguel Garcés
* Unax Hayden [eu]
* Andere Garabieta

## Production

In July 2021, Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren was selected in the Mediterranean Film Institute (MFI), MFI Script 2 Film Workshops, which focuses on the field of training, specialising in script and project development. She also took part in the Berlinale Co-Production Market, feature-film project in 2022. The film was one of the 19 official selected projects for the 2022 Berlinale Co-Production Market. Inicia Films and Gariza Films took charge of the production.
The cast was finalized as: Sofía Otero as Lucía, Patricia López Arnaiz as Ane, Ane Gabarain as Lourdes, Itziar Lazkano as Lita, Sara Cózar as Leire Martxelo Rubio as Gorka along with Miguel Garcés, Unax Hayden and Andere Garabieta.
Shooting locations included Laudio and Hendaye.

## Release

20,000 Species of Bees had its world premiere on 22 February 2023 as part of the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, in competition. It also made it to the 26th Málaga Film Festival's main competitive slate. In April it competed in the 47th Hong Kong International Film Festival, where it won the best actress for its female ensemble cast.
It was theatrically released in Spain on 21 April 2023.
It was reported on 14 January 2023 that Paris-based Luxbox has acquired the international sales right of the film, whereas BTeam Pictures will release the film in Spain. Film Movement acquired North-American distribution rights to the film.
In June 2023 the film was screened at the 70th Sydney Film Festival. It was also invited to the 27th Lima Film Festival in the Acclaimed section, where it was screened on 10 August 2023.
The film competed at the 2023 Calgary International Film Festival in 'International Narrative Competition' for Best International Narrative Feature award and had screening on September 23. It won International Narrative Feature, Special Jury Citation there. It was screened at the 71st San Sebastián International Film Festival in 'Zinemira' section on 22 September and won Sebastiane Award.
It was also screened at 2023 BFI London Film Festival in 'Strand' section under 'Love' theme on 10 October 2023, and made it to Special Spotlight: Basque Cinema of the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival, where it was screened on 23 October 2023. The film was selected in 'Focus Country: Spain' section at the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival and was screened on 8 December 2023.
On 24 March 2024, it will be screened at the Sofia International Film Festival in European Parliament LUX Prize section.

## Reception
### Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 42 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Led by young Sofía Otero's outstanding performance, 20,000 Species of Bees explores an array of weighty themes with gentle humanity." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on nine critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Alfonso Rivera, reviewing the film for Cineuropa, praised Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren writing, "the filmmaker addresses plurality, exploration and transformation with a stratospheric sensitivity." Rivera praising performances of Patricia López Arnaiz, Ane Gabarain and Sofía Otero wrote, "superb work by her actresses, but there are not enough adjectives to commend Sofía Otero (keep an eye on her, it is impossible not to succumb to her talent)."
Nicholas Bell in IonCinema.com gave the film a score of three out of five, writing, "Touching and without being overly sentimental, Solaguren uses the titular diversity of bees to suggest our authentic roles all play an important part if we are to move beyond surviving to actually thriving".
The Hollywood Reporter's Jordan Mintzer called the film "A compassionate coming-of-ager" and praised Otero and Arnaiz's performances, calling the former "clearly the centerpiece of the film". Mintzer concluded: "20,000 Species of Bees returns to Ane's [Arnaiz's] loving — most memorably at the very close of the film when she not only firmly stands by her youngest child's bold decision, but appears to be empowered by it. As are we."
The film featured in compilation '15 films that stood out at Berlin 2023' of ScreenDaily.
Lee Marshall of Screen International praised Otero's performance, writing, "Sofía Otero is never less than compelling, her face a deep pool that becomes a magnet for the audience". In her concluding paragraph, she compared the film's climactic sequence of people on a search for a missing girl to a similar sequence in the 1973 film The Spirit of the Beehive (which in turn served as an homage to Frankenstein): "It's a masterful touch in an engaging, authentic, moving film about the way society persists in seeing monsters where there are none."

### Top ten lists

The film appeared on a number of critics' top ten lists of the best Spanish films of 2023:ç
* 2nd — Mondosonoro (consensus)
* 3rd — El Confidencial (consensus)
* 4th — El Español (Series & Más consensus)
* 8th — El Cultural (critics)
* 9th — El Mundo (Luis Martínez)

### Accolades

20,000 Species of Bees was nominated for European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI in the 36th European Film Awards on 7 November. The awards ceremony took place on 9 December in Berlin.
| Award | Date | Category | Recipient | Result |
| Berlin International Film Festival | 25 February 2023 | Golden Bear | 20,000 Species of Bees | Nominated |
| Berlin International Film Festival | 25 February 2023 | Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| Berlin International Film Festival | 25 February 2023 | Berliner Morgenpost Reader’s Jury Award | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| Berlin International Film Festival | 25 February 2023 | GWFF Best First Feature Award | Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren | Nominated |
| Berlin International Film Festival | 25 February 2023 | Teddy Award | 20,000 Species of Bees | Nominated |
| Berlin International Film Festival | 25 February 2023 | Silver Bear for Best Leading Performance | Sofía Otero | Won |
| Málaga Film Festival | 18 March 2023 | Golden Biznaga for Best Spanish Film | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| Málaga Film Festival | 18 March 2023 | Silver Biznaga for Best Supporting Actress | Patricia López Arnaiz | Won |
| Hong Kong International Film Festival | 9 April 2023 | Best Actress – Young Cinema Competition (World) | Female ensemble cast | Won |
| Seattle International Film Festival | 21 May 2023 | Official Competition Grand Jury Prize | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| Guadalajara International Film Festival | 9 June 2023 | Iberoamerican Competition – Best Film | 20,000 Species of Bees | Nominated |
| Guadalajara International Film Festival | 9 June 2023 | Iberoamerican Competition – Best First Film | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| Guadalajara International Film Festival | 9 June 2023 | Maguey Award | 20,000 Species of Bees | Nominated |
| Guadalajara International Film Festival | 9 June 2023 | Iberoamerican Competition – Best Directing | Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren | Won |
| Guadalajara International Film Festival | 9 June 2023 | Maguey Award for Best Performance | Female ensamble cast | Won |
| Jerusalem Film Festival | 23 July 2023 | Best International Debut | 20,000 Species of Bees | Nominated |
| Calgary International Film Festival | 25 September 2023 | Special Jury Citation for Direction, International Narrative Feature Competition | Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren | Won |
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 30 September 2023 | Sebastiane Award | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| Athens International Film Festival | 9 October 2023 | Best Picture | 20,000 Species of Bees | Nominated |
| Athens International Film Festival | 9 October 2023 | Best Director | Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren | Won |
| Hamptons International Film Festival | 15 October 2023 | Narrative Feature | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| European Film Awards | 9 December 2023 | European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI | Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren | Nominated |
| European Film Awards | 9 December 2023 | European Film Academy Lux Award | 20,000 Species of Bees | Nominated |
| Forqué Awards | 16 December 2023 | Best Film | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| Forqué Awards | 16 December 2023 | Cinema and Education in Values | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| Feroz Awards | 26 January 2024 | Best Drama Film | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| Feroz Awards | 26 January 2024 | Best Director | Estibaliz Urresola | Nominated |
| Feroz Awards | 26 January 2024 | Best Screenplay | Estibaliz Urresola | Nominated |
| Feroz Awards | 26 January 2024 | Best Trailer | Liviu Neagoe | Nominated |
| Feroz Awards | 26 January 2024 | Best Film Poster | Cristina Hernández Bernardo | Nominated |
| Feroz Awards | 26 January 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | Patricia López Arnaiz | Won |
| Feroz Awards | 26 January 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | Ane Gabarain | Nominated |
| Carmen Awards | 3 February 2024 | Best Non-Andalusian Produced Film | 20,000 Species of Bees | Nominated |
| Gaudí Awards | 4 February 2024 | Best Non-Catalan Language Film | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| Gaudí Awards | 4 February 2024 | Best New Director | Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren | Won |
| Gaudí Awards | 4 February 2024 | Best Original Screenplay | Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren | Nominated |
| Gaudí Awards | 4 February 2024 | Best Actress | Patricia López Arnaiz | Nominated |
| Gaudí Awards | 4 February 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | Ane Gabarain | Nominated |
| Gaudí Awards | 4 February 2024 | Best Cinematography | Gina Ferrer | Won |
| Gaudí Awards | 4 February 2024 | Best Editing | Raúl Barreras | Nominated |
| Gaudí Awards | 4 February 2024 | Best Art Direction | Izaskun Urkijo Alijo | Nominated |
| Gaudí Awards | 4 February 2024 | Best Sound | Eva Valiño, Koldo Corella, Xanti Salvador | Nominated |
| CEC Medals | 5 February 2024 | Best Film | 20,000 Species of Bees | Nominated |
| CEC Medals | 5 February 2024 | Best New Director | Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren | Won |
| CEC Medals | 5 February 2024 | Best Original Screenplay | Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren | Nominated |
| CEC Medals | 5 February 2024 | Best Actress | Patricia López Arnaiz | Won |
| CEC Medals | 5 February 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | Ana Gabarain | Nominated |
| CEC Medals | 5 February 2024 | Best Cinematography | Gina Ferrer García | Nominated |
| CEC Medals | 5 February 2024 | Best Editing | Raúl Barreras | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Film | 20,000 Species of Bees | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best New Director | Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren | Won |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Original Screenplay | Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren | Won |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Actress | Patricia López Arnaiz | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | Itziar Lazcano | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | Ane Gabarain | Won |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Martxelo Rubio | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Cinematography | Gina Ferrer García | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Editing | Raúl Barreras | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Sound | Eva Valiño, Koldo Corella, Xanti Salvador | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Art Direction | Izaskun Urkijo | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Production Supervision | Pablo Vidal | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Costume Design | Nerea Torrijos | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Makeup and Hairstyles | Ainhoa Eskisabel, Jone Gabarain | Nominated |
| Goya Awards | 10 February 2024 | Best Special Effects | Mariano García Marty, Jon Serrano, David Heras, Fran Belda, Indira Martín | Nominated |
| Actors and Actresses Union Awards | 11 March 2024 | Best Film Actress in a Secondary Role | Ane Gabarain | Won |
| Platino Awards | 20 April 2024 | Best Ibero-American Debut Film | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| Platino Awards | 20 April 2024 | Best Screenplay | Estibaliz Urresola | Won |
| Platino Awards | 20 April 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | Ane Gabarain | Won |
| Platino Awards | 20 April 2024 | Film and Values Education | 20,000 Species of Bees | Won |
| GLAAD Media Awards | 27 March 2025 | Outstanding Film – Limited Release | 20,000 Species of Bees | Pending |

### Listicle

| Publisher | Year | Listicle | Placement | Ref. |
| Screen International | 2023 | 15 films that stood out at Berlin 2023 | 1st | |