The Spirit of the Beehive

7.6 1973 Víctor Erice 1h 38m
Drama Fantasy
The Spirit of the Beehive

In 1940, in the immediate aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, a young girl living on the Castilian plain is haunted after attending a screening of James Whale's 1931 film Frankenstein and hearing from her sister that the monster is not dead, instead existing as a spirit inhabiting a nearby barn.

Cast

Fernando Fernán Gómez Fernando Fernán Gómez Fernando
Teresa Gimpera Teresa Gimpera Teresa
Ana Torrent Ana Torrent Ana
Isabel Tellería Isabel
Laly Soldevila Laly Soldevila Doña Lucía
Miguel Picazo Miguel Picazo Médico
José Villasante José Villasante Frankenstein
Juan Margallo Juan Margallo Fugitivo

Where to Watch

Criterion Channel Criterion Channel Fandango At Home Fandango At Home

Vibes

Emotional Chill Visually Stunning Deeply Moving Hidden Gem

Double Feature Pairings

Films that pair perfectly with The Spirit of the Beehive

Pan's Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth 2006
Children escaping fascism through fantasy. Two films set in Franco's Spain where imagination is the only safe place left.

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