The Spirit of the Beehive 2006

Six-year-old Ana is a reserved child living in a secluded manor within a Spanish village located on the Castilian plateau, alongside her parents, Fernando Fernán Gómez and Teresa Gimpera, as well as her older sister, Isabel. The story unfolds in 1940, shortly after the civil war concludes with the Francoist forces overcoming the Republicans. Ana’s father, engrossed in beekeeping and documenting his observations, often neglects the emotional needs of his family, while her much younger mother becomes lost in fantasies about a distant love, frequently penning letters to him.

Ana’s main confidante is Isabel, who, while affectionate, tends to exploit her younger sister’s naïveté. The arrival of a mobile cinema showcasing Frankenstein captivates both sisters. The film leaves a lasting impact on Ana, who is particularly affected by the poignant scene where the monster inadvertently drowns a little girl. Confused, she inquires of Isabel, “Why did he kill the girl, and why did they kill him after that?” Isabel, attempting to reassure her, claims that the monster did not truly harm the girl and that he is not really dead; she explains that movies are merely illusions, suggesting the monster is akin to a spirit with whom Ana can communicate if she simply closes her eyes and calls out to him.

Ana’s intrigue deepens when Isabel leads her to an abandoned sheepfold, insisting it serves as the monster’s dwelling. Driven by curiosity, Ana revisits the site alone several times, ultimately stumbling upon a wounded Republican soldier seeking refuge. Instead of fleeing, she shows compassion, feeding him and even offering her father’s coat and watch to aid him. Unfortunately, one fateful night, the Francoist police discover the soldier and shoot him. They soon suspect Ana’s father of being complicit due to the items linked to the fugitive. The gravity of the situation dawns on her father when he observes Ana’s reaction upon his discovery of the pocket watch. When Ana next visits the sheepfold, she is met with a shocking scene—there’s no trace of the soldier, only bloodstains marking the ground. In a state of panic, her father confronts her, prompting Ana to flee in distress.

As night falls, Ana’s family and the villagers embark on a frantic search for her, mirroring a haunting moment from Frankenstein. Eventually, she finds herself kneeling beside a lake, where she envisions the monster emerging from the trees, also kneeling beside her. The following day, the community finds Ana unharmed, yet the physician reassures her mother that Ana must learn to cope with her undisclosed “trauma.” Instead of reconnecting with her family, Ana retreats into her own world, preferring to stand solitary by the window and silently summon the spirit, just as Isabel had encouraged her to do.