Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (born 4 May 1984) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter, and producer.
She has won awards for Voces de papel (2016), a documentary, and (2022), a short film, while her first feature film, 20,000 Species of Bees (2023), has won a variety of awards at various film festivals.
Biography
Urresola was born on 4 May 1984 in Laudio/Llodio, located in the province of Álava in the autonomous community of Basque Country in northern Spain.
She has bachelor's degrees in Audiovisual Communication from the University of the Basque Country and Film Editing from the Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión. Urresola has master's degrees in Film Direction and Film Business—Marketing, distribution and international sales from the Cinema and Audiovisual School of Catalonia (ESCAC). She has worked since 2011 in the Basque film and television industry.
Significant films
Voces de papel Voces de papel is a 2016 full-length documentary about , a mixed instrumental, vocal, and choreographic ensemble of Basque performers that toured internationally from 1937 during the Spanish Civil War until the outbreak of World War II, which forced Eresoinka to return to Europe from the United States. It won the Premio Txapela de Oro for best documentary at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
Cuerdas Cuerdas (2022) is a half-hour fictional film about a women's choir in an industrial town has lost its funding from the municipality. A local company, whose factory has contaminated the area surrounding the town, offers to sponsor the choir. With the survival of the choir in doubt, the members must decide whether to accept the sponsorship or not. It was nominated for and won many prizes.
20,000 Species of Bees
This was Urresola's first feature film. Her goal of was for the audience to feel the ups and downs of a family with a transgender child. The inspiration for the story was the suicide of Ekai Lersundi in 2018. Ekai Lersundi was a transgender 16-year-old boy from Ondarroa who had waited in vain for a hormonal treatment. Urresola was affected by the poignant note Lersundi left behind to illustrate his despair and his hope that divulging his suffering might bring about a societal change.
The film tells the story of a transgender girl, and its effect on the family. To help an accurate portrayal, , a regional association for the families of transgender minors, worked with the director and provided guidance for Sofía Otero who played the main character.
In the film, the family crosses borders, including the one that separates Bayonne in France and Laudio/Llodio in Spanish Basque Country. Although Spanish is predominant in that film, Basque and French are also heard. Urresola seeks naturalism in the conversations between the mother (Patricia López Arnaiz) and her children. Gender dysphoria is dealt with somewhat didactically, but with emotion. "Why am I like this?" asks little Cocó (Otero).
As the director explains:
In addition to the festival awards that the film itself won and those that Urresola won as a director, Otero won a best performer award, Patricia López Arnaiz won a best supporting actress award, and there were two awards for best female ensemble cast.
Filmography
Year Title English translationDirectorProducerWriterEditor Notes 2011AdriAdrishort film20131001 formas de tomar café1001 Ways to Drink Coffeesegment in short documentary2016Voces de papelPaper Voicesfull-length documentary2018Nor Nori NorkThe Declensions short documentary film2020Polvo somosWe Are Dustshort film2022Cuerdasshort film202320.000 especies de abejas20,000 Species of Beesfeature length
Awards and nominations
+ Overall awards for films directed by or directing awards received by UrresolaYearFilmFestival awardCategoryResult2012Adri4th Gaudí AwardsBest Short Film2016Voces de papelSan Sebastián International Film FestivalPremio Txapela de Oro for best documentary2022CuerdasCritics' WeekRails d'OryGrand prix du court métrage de Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole28th Forqué AwardsBest Short FilmCurtas Vila do CondeBest FictionGuanajuato International Film FestivalPremio SIGNIS al Mejor Cortometraje Ficción Internacional202320,000 Species of Bees73rd Berlin International Film Festival Golden Bear Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas Berliner Morgenpost Reader's Jury Award GWFF Best First Feature Award Teddy Award 26th Málaga Film Festival Golden Biznaga for Best Spanish FilmSeattle International Film Festival Official Competition Grand Jury Prize Guadalajara International Film Festival Iberoamerican Competition – Best Film Iberoamerican Competition – Best First Film Iberoamerican Competition – Best Directing
See also
20,000 Species of Bees Sofia Otero Cinema and Audiovisual School of Catalonia
References
External links