20,000 Species of Bees

Even though it's perhaps a tad too slow and doesn't eschew certain - effective - cliches, "20.000 especies de abejas" is a meticulously crafted character piece that displays a remarkable eye for small, realistic moments and the patience to orchestrate them in a consistent, captivating, insightful whole. Sofía Otero is fantastic in the lead and elevates the film even more, Patricia López Arnaiz also gives a very strong performance, and the entire cast is very well chosen. Touching and engrossing.

"I started with a block of marble and chipped away everything that wasn't David." (Michelangelo (not really)). The sunshine, the half-finished statues, the half-heard voices from the next room talking over your future... Sofia Otero is incredible. The only thing that bothers me slightly is it's just a little TOO well put together, every detail playing into the plot, right down to the Spanish grammar and its inescapable genders. But really, those are afterthoughts. In the moment, it's so simple.