Movie of the week: The Spirit of the Beehive

The Spirit of the Beehive haunts me. When I first saw it back in college for an assignment, I didn't realize that I would go back again and again to listen for its whispers in the dark. A quiet, lovely, Spanish film with a deceptively simple storyline, it continues to speak to me ten years after I first saw it.

Though the cinematographer was going blind at the time of filming, the film is stunning. Dusty, warm colors permeate the daytime of the two little girls who are the center of this film. You almost get thirsty watching. The only relief from that dryness are the nighttime moments--things hidden in the cool dark of night.

A story of alienation, loss of childhood innocence, longing, and so much more, hiding a subtle protest against Spain's Franco dictatorship. I can still see little Ana's eyes looking out at me--weighing, measuring, everything she sees. If you have a chance to see it, do. If you want to borrow it, I have it. A slight warning--it may haunt you, too.