In a small, sleepy village in the Basque Country, a sculptor named Ane and her three children arrive at her mother Lita’s home for summer vacation where they are surrounded by extended family and nosy neighbors. Ane and her mother’s relationship is strained — Lita disapproves of her daughter’s frayed marriage, career as an artist, and the way she parents her obstinate and mischievous children. Chief among them is eight-year-old Aitor, nicknamed Coco after it becomes clear that being referred to by the name Aitor elicits feelings of distress in the child. Born biologically male, neither birth name nor the genderless nickname feel quite right, and Ane’s concern for her child grows as Coco becomes more withdrawn. The child’s only respite lies in the Basque hills, where Ane’s aunt Lourdes tends to the family’s beekeeping farm. Among the peaceful humming of bees and Lourdes’ open-minded guardianship, Coco slowly begins to confide in family and friends her discomfort in her body, eventually voicing a desire to be treated as a girl. As Coco explores her own developing identity over the summer, Ane and the rest of her family in turn must learn to accept the child as she is.

Basque director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren’s assured debut feature is a wonderfully sensitive work carried by the Berlinale Silver Bear winning lead performance of newcomer Sofía Otero. An authentic and heart-wrenching story of transition, 20,000 Species of Bees is “a landmark in the filmic discussion of gender, sexuality and identity,” (The Film Verdict).

For in-depth thoughts on 20,000 Species of Bees, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

20,000 Species of Bees arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Film Movement with a gorgeous 1080p presentation that perfectly represents this film. This is a visually lush film with a substantial amount of time spent out in nature, and the camera delights in every single moment of it. There is a stunning amount of detail in close-up shots, along with wide shots of the sumptuous vistas. Colors are richly saturated and especially vibrant within the foliage. Skin tones look natural, and there are some incredible facial details present. Black levels hold firm with no crush, and highlights avoid blooming. Compression artifacts and other digital anomalies are nowhere to be found. The film has been treated with the utmost respect.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track in the original Spanish that sounds pretty excellent. The movie is mostly dialogue-driven with plenty of space given to linger and reflect upon the soundscap at large. The track comes alive with subtle sounds of nature flourishing out of the speakers. The film makes good use of panning effects to convey a sense of place. Environmental sounds such as the titular bees and wind come through well in the side and rear speakers. Dialogue is crisp and clear without being clipped by the score or sound effects. This is not a film that digs deep on the low end, but there is some subtle texture at points. Overall, this track does a fantastic job representing the film. Optional English subtitles are available.

Special Features

Cuerdas: A 30-minute short film from director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren is included here about a woman who is part of a choir in need of funding and has to decide if they are going to accept money from a morally bankrupt source.

Trailer (2:05)

Final Thoughts

20,000 Species of Bees is a very gentle journey that takes a broad overview of complicated family dynamics and the more personal exploration of identity and its impact within that unit. It is a very controlled and respectful story that has a great emotional impact while exploring topics that many are sadly slow to understand to this very day. The performances are first-rate all around, but the young lead performer is a show-stopper. This is one of the underseen gems of the year. Film Movement has provided a Blu-Ray with a terrific A/V presentation along with a cool short film. Those with an interest in impactful emotional dramas should not miss this one. Highly Recommended

20,000 Species of Bees is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Film Movement and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.