Director: Markus Imhoof.
Starring: Layne Pauly, Boris Baer, Elisabeth Schild, John Miller, John Hurt.
Certificate: U.
Running Time: 95 minutes.
Synopsis: A close look at beekeeping in Switzerland, China, California and Australia and how mankind is affecting the increasing disappearance of honey bees.
MORE THAN HONEY is a truly compelling documentary not only about bees and honey, but that explores mankind’s greedy tendencies. None of the beekeepers profess their love for the job or the small honey-making creatures, but instead discuss bees’ stupidity and the money they’re losing due too all the ones that are disappearing. Markus Imhoof manages to remind everyone of a scary fact which has been discussed in the media for ten years but somehow slipped everyone’s mind; bees are disappearing and with them goes a lot of pollination which a third of our food relies on.
Not only is the subject matter interesting and important for the filmmakers and viewers, but MORE THAN HONEY is interesting from a pure filmmaking perspective. The cinematography of the film is stunning, and every little bee seen is real and not animated – a truly impressive technique used by the filmmakers.
Intertwined with the four countries’ beekeeping techniques is an interview with Professor Randolf Menzel who studies bees’ ability to communicate directions to food and home to other bees. While we learn about their incredible abilities, the filmmakers and audience have to deal with the ignorance of the beekeepers who seem dumbfounded by the disappearing bees, despite their treatment of them.
John Hurt narrates the story with true involvement in the subject matter, the grandchild of a beekeeper and father to a scientist exploring ‘colony collapse disorder’. This disorder is treated as a mystery, but it soon becomes quite evident that a combination of breeding, stealing honey and transporting the bees in unnatural ways have resulted in the death of up to 90% of the world’s bees.
MORE THAN HONEY is for everyone, even those without any interest in bees or documentaries. It is an important film which educates through great images, narration and honest interviews. The documentary exquisitely covers everything from killer bees, the history of honey bees, queen bees, bee breeding and more, without feeling like too much is covered. The subject matter is constantly changed through a relevant thread that is very easy to follow and guarantees that by the end of all the overwhelming information, we’ll all want to save the bees.
MORE THAN HONEY is released in UK cinemas on Friday 6th September.
