20,000 Species of Bees
Spain is the latest country to introduce a brilliantly acted drama centred on a transgender child.
Transgender issues are in themselves nothing new but their prominence as a social concern that makes headlines in the media is. It is, of course, fed by the fact that what counts as an appropriate response has divided opinion drastically in recent times and not least when those who experience transgender feelings do so before they reach adulthood. For such children it is unfortunate that such conflicting attitudes exist, but it is understandable that they do so given that some youngsters personally affected in this way may find it to be a passing phase while for others it will become a lifelong concern.
It is hardly surprising that these factors are reflected in the way in which the subject has been treated in the cinema. One can look back to Céline Sciamma’s Tomboy made in 2011 and even further to another fine film, Alain Berliner’s Ma vie en rose dating from 1997, but only recently has the subject come up more regularly. Three titles stand out here: Petite fille (2020), L’Immensita (2022) and now this new film from Spain, 20,000 Species of Bees. It is a debut feature from Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren who both wrote and directed and she has told of how her wish to make the film was a response to the tragic suicide of a 16-year-old transgender boy that became known to her.
Solaguren’s aim here is clearly to influence attitudes but to do so by capturing the human side of such situations rather than by creating didactic work of a propagandist kind. Indeed, her greatest triumph here lies in the sense of naturalism that is the key feature of 20,000 Species of Bees. Her story is centred on an 8-year-old who is introduced to us as Cocó. He is the son of Ane and very early in the film these two, together with Cocó’s siblings Nerea and Eneko, leave their home in Bayonne to cross from France to the Basque country. Their purpose is to join Ane’s relatives including her mother Lita who live there and are gathering for a christening. However, Cocó, played by Sofía Otero, is very much the central figure and it becomes clear that although brought up as a boy the child is uneasy about that. Cocó’s understanding is limited but the name by which he would choose to be known is Lucía.
Even the choice of title for the film appears to be a pointer to the notion that diversity is a good thing, something that is natural and should be accepted. But, despite that and regardless of Cocó's pivotal role, the impression we get is that Solaguren is seeking to de-dramatise questions around transgender and to view it instead as something that should be treated as a normal fact of life. That is very much the attitude of Cocó's great aunt played by Ane Gabarain who recognises the child’s concerns and accepts them. As for Ane herself (Patricia López Arnaiz) she is an affectionate mother but, having brought up Cocó in a way that rejects strict established traditions of what is boys’ stuff and what is girls’, fails to appreciate the very real gender crisis that is happening. Her own religious mother (Itziar Lazkano) is very much a traditionalist in outlook and therefore no help, while Cocó's father, Gorka (Martxelo Rubio), is largely absent and indeed the couple are on the verge of breaking up.
The sincerity behind this film is never for a moment in doubt, but for all its good points this is a work that proves problematic. At the outset there is the issue of introducing so many characters without making it wholly clear as to their identities, names and relationships. One example of this concerns Cocó who is introduced by that nickname: as it happens, I had read beforehand that the male name actually given the child was Aitor but this name is only dropped belatedly and then in a way that does not immediately identify it as a reference to the person theretofore known to us only as Cocó. But, once we move forward, other problems arise too. Bees do play a part since Lourdes, Cocó's great aunt, is a beekeeper but these scenes contribute little. Similarly, much time is taken up over tensions between Ane and her mother connected with Ane’s devotion to making sculpture as her father had done. Again, there's much footage on this but as a further dramatic thread it's over-present yet without being built up sufficiently to be dramatically effective. What does work really well, aside from the trans issue, is the wider portrait of Cocó that emerges: this is a beguiling view of a youngster at an age when they are always asking questions about everything. However, there is another failure in that the final scenes offer extra drama and carry a somewhat fictional tone. That happens because everything else is so wonderfully natural and that extends to the tone caught by a brilliant cast. They make the film worthwhile, but all those scenes involving sculpture and bees result in the film feeling much too long at over two hours. I would still say that it is well worth a look, but the very best and most involving film about a trans child remains the documentary masterpiece Petite fille.
Original title: 20,000 especies des abejas.
MANSEL STIMPSON
Cast: Sofía Otero, Patricia López Arnaiz, Ane Gabarain, Itziar Lazkano, Martxelo Rubio, Sara Cózar, Miguel Garcés, Unax Hayden, Andere Garabieta, Julene Puente Nafarrate.
Dir Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren, Pro Valérie Delpierre and Lara Izaguirre Garizurieta, Screenplay Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren, Ph Gina Ferrer Garcia, Pro Des Izaskun Urkijo Alijo, Ed Raül Barreras, Costumes Nerea Torrijos.
Gariza Films/Inicia Films/Sirimiri Films/Movistar+-Curzon Film Distributors.
128 mins. Spain. 2023. UK Rel: 27 October 2023. Cert. 12A.