Describe a bee: round, black and yellow stripes, two antennae, four wings, and a ton of honey. But, have you ever wondered about the inside life of the bees? Their daily routine, every waggle, and mile journey? Especially in the winter, bees are hidden inside their hive and are nowhere to be seen. With documentaries, however, anyone can see them up close and truly describe the life of a bee.
Bees: Tales From The Hive
2000 ‧ Documentary ‧ 53 min
This film demonstrates just what it means to be a bee, how to work together in a nuclear family of over 20,000 workers, and how they flourish in the unexpected.
Beautiful footage shows how the bee forages, collects nectar, passes it on to other bees, and lastly, how the honey we all adore is produced.
This is the perfect instructive film since it depicts every element of a bee’s natural life.
You’ll witness how they handle uninvited visitors, as well as how some intruders have beaten them with cunning masking strategies, making them nearly invisible to a colony capable of stinging them to death and disposing of the body through mumification. You will also earn about the drama of the queens, where they fight to a battle of death for the crown.
It’s a film for both young and old to enjoy and discover some insight.
Visit the PBS website for more.
Queen of the Sun
2010 ‧ Documentary/Drama ‧ 1h 23m
The absence of bees speaks for itself. Taggart Siegel, a filmmaker, explores how the extinction of bees has an impact on the globe. The film takes a look at the inexplicable disappearance of honeybee colonies in the United States, and how beekeeping is practiced around the world.
The vacant hives and mounds of dead worker bees send out a warning, and this documentary explains why. If bees die, so do we. By emphasizing the likely causes, it is observed that other pollinators such as birds and butterflies are also affected by the excessive mortality of our bees.
If that doesn’t convince you, consider that the same blossoms that feed the bees end up in your body as fruit, veggies, and nuts. By watching the documentary, see how we can redeem ourselves from this terrible future.
Visit their website for more.
The Pollinators
2019 ‧ Documentary ‧ 1h 32m
Billions and billions of bees are moved from one end of the United States to the other every year in a unique yearly migration that is critical to America’s food supply. Just about all of our fruits, nuts, and vegetables, as well as one out of every three bites we take, would be difficult to produce without bee pollination. The Pollinators tells an interesting and revealed narrative of how bees are in grave danger. The honey bees and their handlers are followed every step of the way in this award-winning documentary. During the growing seasons, director Peter Nelson, a seasoned cinematographer, traveled to fourteen states, capturing approximately 200 hours of footage over roughly 90 nights.
The intriguing narrative The Pollinators tells is about how essential bees are, and how this small flying insect can play such a huge role in our society’ existence.
Visit their website for more.
Wings of Life
2011 ‧ Documentary ‧ 1h 21m
This detailed and unparalleled look at butterflies, hummingbirds, bees, bats, and flowers, narrated by Meryl Streep, is a celebration of life, as these incredible–and more threatened–creatures provide a third of the world’s food supply. Disneynature presents a vibrant tribute to our pollinators and heroes.
More Than Honey
2012 ‧ Documentary ‧ 1h 35m
This documentary follows the honeybee throughout the world in search of solutions to the mystery of declining bee numbers . Get an up-close look at farming’s commercial methods and see how they affect these hardworking creatures. When you see how rapidly pesticides and fungicides affect a foraging bee, your perspective on the careless use of chemicals is likely to shift. Anyone who appreciates food should watch this and discover what it means to be a foodie and the consequences.
Vanishing of Bees
2009 ‧ Documentary ‧ 1h 27m
The number of bees on the planet is decreasing at an alarming rate. When an organism responsible for more than 25% of the food on our tables vanishes, our very survival is jeopardized.
Almond producers have no choice but to acquire bee colonies from Australia due to dwindling bee numbers. Almonds are unable to pollinate themselves. This is only one example of the impact of the honey bee’s absence.
This film explains colony collapse disorder (CCD), a phenomena that has been labeled as a global occurrence. Join the fight today by watching a glimpse of the impacts.
Hopefully, with some honey and crumpets, you watch the beautiful life of bees and uncover a few secrets too!
Bee The Change 