Fall 2009
November 9
 Spirit
of the Beehive
Spain, 1973. drama, 99 min
Director: Victor
Erice.
ROBERTS CREEK HALL
Set in a remote Castillan village in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War,
Spirit of the Beehive is one of the most haunting and beautiful stories of childhood
in movie history. Six-year old Ana (Ana Torrent) is an emotional orphan
of the conflict. Her father spends his time beekeeping, her mother writing
letters to an imaginary lover. When Ana sees Frankenstein, she becomes
transfixed by the monster and the terrible beauty he represents. Told by
her sister that the monster lives on as a spirit and can be brought to life by
anyone who knows the right things to say, Ana sets out to find him.
"Ana Torrent gives perhaps the greatest child performance
of all time." — Andrew
Sarris, NY Observer
LINKS
» Sorrowful Knowledge and Startled Innocence
in Franco's Spain, NY Times review.
» Review from
Allmovie.com.
» Writing
Cinema, Thinking Cinema.... , essay by Victor Erice.
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