Statement by LUX Audience Award 2024 finalist Estibaliz URRESOLA SOLAGUREN, director of 20,000 Species of Bees. Parliament and the European Film Academy award the LUX prize to help the distribution of European films with significant artistic merit that reflect cultural diversity in Europe and beyond.

statement

LUX European Audience Film Award 2024 (T)

URRESOLA SOLAGUREN, Estibaliz (ES)

LUX Audience Award 2024 - Statements by finalists: Estibaliz URRESOLA SOLAGUREN, director of 20,000 Species of Bees

Illustrations, cutaways before the interview of Estibaliz URRESOLA SOLAGUREN, director of 20,000 Species of Bees, Brussels region, Belgium,16/01/2024, (6 shots)

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Estibaliz URRESOLA SOLAGUREN, Director of 20,000 Species of Bees, Luc&iacute;a is a trans girl, she is the youngest of three siblings. Since the moment the film begins, she is named in the family, named and treated in a male way. Everyone calls her Aitor and well, she's a girl who doesn't quite understand why, but she constantly realizes, because she's only eight years old, that she doesn't fit in with the world as it appears to her, while the rest of her siblings don't have that much difficulty doing so

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Estibaliz URRESOLA SOLAGUREN, Director of 20,000 Species of Bees, She feels that there is an invisible wall that prevents her from being and expressing herself and participating in the collective as naturally as an eight-year-old girl should, but she doesn't understand why. Because she's kind of learning the cultural code. So, during this summer vacation, when she travels with her whole family to the town of her grandmother, on the southern side of the Basque Country, on the other side of the border, which is a relatively new territory for her, you will find the possibility of presenting herself in a more free way to that community. This will gradually give you enough strength and understanding and legitimacy to present herself to her family for who she 

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Estibaliz URRESOLA SOLAGUREN, Director of 20,000 Species of Bees, I wanted to give face and eyes and body to the experience of these families, of these girls and boys, because I think we have gone from a time when there was no talk at all about this reality and therefore it didn't exist, to perhaps being talked about too much in terms that are very partisan, very politicized, very interested and, in addition, as if turning the debate into a political weapon. In the midst of all this, we forget that there are people who are suffering daily in their daily lives, in their routines, in spaces where cis people do not find any kind of sign of violence, they are living in situations where they are constantly being violated.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Estibaliz URRESOLA SOLAGUREN, Director of 20,000 Species of Bees, Of course, an initiative such as the European Parliament's Lux Prize is an immense opportunity to reach audiences that we wouldn't otherwise have. And in the end, filmmakers make films to reach the public, so that these stories are known, to generate reflection, debate, empathy, acceptance and tolerance for diversity. I think that in that sense it is like a project that fits very much in the line of Europe, in the idea that we are many, we are very diverse, each one has its own peculiarity and everything adds up. That diversity is a value. 

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Estibaliz URRESOLA SOLAGUREN, Director of 20,000 Species of Bees, Well, very honored, very happy, surprised, when we received this news because it was unexpected, and also very excited to be able to share it with the public today. Because I also think it's very nice that precisely the dynamics of the prize are shared. Parliamentarians and the public vote for 50%, because the public is the public, the grand jury. So, it's beautiful. And today we will have the opportunity to have the first screening and discussion with that audience