Review: Honeybee Blues
Posted by Tristan on:
A documentary about the world’s disappearing honeybees, and our relationship the Apis mellifera.
Who should see this film:
Any one interested in nature, agro-business, and entomology.
People who enjoyed The Botany Of Desire.
Review
A vital component in the production of thirty percent of our food source, man has brought Apis mellifera, better known as the European Honeybee all over the world. The problem is that with new habitat comes new disease and pest. This documentary follows the real threats effecting bees, and subsequently the agricultural economy that relies on their efforts. The ill affect of monoculture farming, pesticides, and habitat loss are minor compared the plague of parasites is causing large populations of bees to die worldwide. Dr Denis Anderson an Australian scientist is looking for the solution.
Informative, and illustrative Honeybee Blues lays out all the information that comprises the complicated and necessary relationship between Humans and bees. In a time of Industrial agriculture the busy bees are a $100 billion industry involving beekeepers, bee-brokers and bee-breeders that ship from Australia, around the world. Should anything interrupt this industry the consequences could be devastating. Enter Varroa destructor, a disease caring mite.
While the film gives us all the information, it does not convay the gravity of the situation well. Writer/Director Stefan Moore is successful in balancing the mood of the film. The threat infected hives is balanced by the serious but silly looking task of following bees around. The subject matter of Honeybee Blues has all the elements of a dramatic story, and could have used that to the films advantage without loosing integrity.
This Film will be shown again:
Saturday, Feb. 6, 1:45 p.m. at Metro 4
2 Comments
Comment by Jason F. on
I like your blog title. I can't read it that well though. The film sounds good. I'm intrigued by the idea of people following small insects around.
Comment by anonymouse on
Dude, Some of this doesn't make any sense..."the threat infected hives is balanced?" "by the silly looking task of following bees around?" I would like to "loose" some grammatical integrity on this review.