A sensitively-drawn debut feature about a trans-child who must navigate burgeoning notions of gender identity amid confusing signals sent by her family, shot in a naturalistic style befitting the very nature of self-discovery.

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If you have been following the international film festival circuits, you might have heard of a little girl who won Best Actress at the Berlinale earlier this year in a film with a rather sensational title. 

20,000 Species of Bees, as it is called, introduces to us Sofia Otero, who plays a young girl in a boy’s body.  She resents being called Aitor, or for that matter, Coco, which confuses her, and instead wants to be addressed as Lucia. 

At eight years old, her family is the only world that she knows.  Her encouraging mother tells her there is no such thing as boys’ or girls’ stuff, but in this sensitively-drawn debut feature from Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren, other family members hold a different view. 

“Can I die and be reborn as a girl?”

Lucia’s trip to Basque Country one summer holiday with everyone becomes the film’s driving narrative as it makes us feel what it is like to be a trans-child who must navigate burgeoning notions of gender identity. 

Shot in a naturalistic style that recalls last year’s Berlinale Golden Bear-winning Alcarras (2022), also a Spanish film, particularly in its treatment of strained family dynamics, 20,000 Species of Bees details not just the fissures but also the connections Lucia has with her family. 

The film’s naturalistic style also befits the very nature of self-discovery, marked by a love-hate for oneself.  It is noticeably devoid of music and this sharpens our ear for dialogue. 

Lucia’s voice, while seemingly meek and unassured, hides a sense of growing maturity within her.  In one of the film’s most affecting scenes, her name is called multiple times but the silence after is deafening.

Grade: A-

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Trailer: