Displaying items by tag: 20,000 Especies de Abejas Mission/ 20,000 Species of Bees movie

20.000 ESPECIES DE ABEJAS MISSIONS/ 20,000 SPECIES OF BEES

Spain, 2023, 128 minutes, Colour.

Sofia Otero, Patricia Lopez Arnaiz, Ane Gabarain, Itziar Laxkano.

Directed by Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren

The title is tantalising. And a reminder that a classic Spanish film, focusing on children, was The Spirit of the Beehive.

This is a film of the 2020s, the story of a family, living on the French-Spanish border, some tensions, some strain between husband and wife, some surliness especially in the two younger children.

The children with their mother go on holiday, staying with her mother, widow of a famous sculptor, the daughter herself having studied sculpture and heart. And, beeswax is used for some of the sculptures.

The focus on bees, realistic and symbolic, comes with an aunt who looks after bees, practical, wise.

And this is especially the case for the central character, the eight year old Coco, audiences and many people assuming that by appearance, hair length, manner, Coco is a girl. But, in fact, Coco is a boy, with a boy’s name, but dramatising the conflict of gender identity for an eight-year-old, comfortable in being more like a girl than a boy, problems even with name, interactions with cousins, but getting good advice and friendship from her beekeeping aunt.

The town for the holiday is vividly presented. The performances strong, especially Sofia Otero as Coco.

While there is a great deal of contemporary discussion about transition, here is a film which precedes those questions, the struggle with gender identity for a pre-puberty child, not understanding what it is that they are going through or why – and the challenge to the rest of the family, parents, to be positive in support of their child.

1. Multi-award-winning and multi nominations? The impact of the film, Spanish audiences, international audiences? Family? Gender identity?
2. The Spanish setting, the town, the countryside, houses, sheds, bees, festivities for the townspeople, the church, statues, atmosphere? The musical score?
3. The initial impact of the family, tensions, the father, somewhat detached, driving, leaving the family, the mother, coping, the older daughter and her achievement, the boy and his surliness towards his father, Coco, age, also surly?
4. For a holiday, from France into Spain? Welcomed by her mother, the children and the relationships, settling in, opening up the area for sculpture? Information about the family, the father and his sculptures, the impending baptism, the stealing of his stature, the searching on the river? The grandfather, his achievement, artistry, the mother, her business sense and practice? Anna, her studies, Paris, sculptures, her wanting to continue during the holiday? The beeswax?
5. The picture of the extended family, cousins, activities, the swimming, chats, aunts and uncles?
6. The continued focus on Coco, aged eight, the long hair, girl/boy, real name and not wanting to use it? Audience growing awareness that Coco saw himself/herself as a girl? With the comprehension of an eight-year-old, but disturbed, questioning, not liking the name Coco, then accepting it? Going swimming, changing clothes with the cousin?
7. The aunt, with the bees, her skills? The explanations, the role of the bees, the beeswax? The mother wanting the beeswax for sculptures? Seeing her in action with the beeswax and her art?
8. The aunt, the story of St Lucia, martyrdom, the impact on Coco, not certain about a name, not wanting to use a name, finally deciding on Lucia?
9. The arrival of the father, his concerns, the issue of Coco?
10. The mother, application for the teaching job, the issue of submission of art, sending in her father’s art?
11. The episode Coco lost, everybody going out into the fields, calling out, his masculine name, Coco, and then finally their calling out Lucia?
12. The strong portrait of the family and interactions?
13. The issue of gender identity, for a child, pre-puberty, physical aspects, psychological and emotional aspects, decisions to be made – and the future issues of transitioning?