The Girl Who Swallowed Bees (2007) User Reviews

Pretty.

[ruflooss · 6/10 · 23 August 2021]

Well, that's a funny thing. The first half of it is me when I was 13. Maybe I would like life more if I were a bee-hive, who knows... You can watch it, but you don't have to.

Weaving is pretty great, the film is okay

[Horst_In_Translation · 6/10 · 11 February 2018]

"The Girl Who Swallowed Bees" is an award-winning Australian live action short film from 2007, so this one had its 10th anniversary last year. It is perhaps the most known work by writer and director Paul McDermott, also an actor, but not in here, and this film garnered some decent awards recognition. The poster here on imdb looks damn scary like from a bee horror movie, but it really is more about the drama I guess, also an uplifting film at the very end I suppose, but still I as somebody who hates bees more than spiders etc. cannot accept and appreciate the scene where the bee is crawling into her mouth. By the way if anything here could have been done better, then it is the way the bees look I guess, not too great animation there. Otherwise the film is fine story- and acting-wise and Hugo Weaving is the main reason why I give this one a positive recommendation. His narration here was really very very good. Also solid work by the make-up and costume departments in letting the fully grown actress appear like a teenage girl. Overall, not a must-see, but there are way worse ways to spend 10 minutes. I give it a thumbs-up and recommend checking this one out.

Beeutiful

[johno-21 · 9/10 · 28 August 2007]

I saw this at the 2007 Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films and it's a charming animated fable with live action. This is a story about a teenage girl (Pia Miranda) who suffers from depression and dreams and sketches ways on how to end her life. She comes across a beehive one day and comes up with a bizarre plan when she decides that if she swallows enough bees they will sting her death. Actor/writer Paul McDermot wrote and directs this wonderful short and also is it's production designer. Veteran actor Hugo Weaving, best known for his work in the Lord of the Rings films, is the narrator of this fanciful story. Miranda is an Austrailian television actress who will team with Weaving again in the forthcoming feature film The Tender Hook. Tony Melou is the film's animator, Rebecca O'Brien is art director, Justine Kerrigan photographs and Matt Bisson does a great job with editing. I really liked this visually enchanting film and of the 46 shorts I saw at the festival this would tie with another animated short, Love and War, as my festival favorites. I would give this a 9.5 out of 10.