From continent to continent, bees are facing the threat of extinction. There are many theories as to why the bee population has seen a rapid decline and what implication it has for humanity. Award winning director Markus Imhoof, creator of Eldorado and The Boat is Full, in his 2012 documentary, More than Honey, investigates the reasons why bees are dying. Inspired by his familial roots of bee keeping, Imhoof felt it was his duty to showcase this topic. More than Honey is originally narrated from Imhoof’s perspective in German with John Hurt providing the English dub. In this environmental and educational film, Imhoof explores the science, community, and hardships bees are facing. Jumping from continent to continent, the audience is introduced to bee keepers from different countries all facing similar issues in regards to their hives dying. Winner of the Austrian “Best Sound Editing” and Barvian “Best Documentary” awards in 2013 (IMBD), More than Honey showcases the consequences of industrialized agribusiness and humanity’s continuous estranged relationship with nature.

 

 

 

Through the narration, Imhoof gives insight from his personal experiences as a generational bee keeper and sets off to find out why the bees are dying. From here, the scene shifts to an almond orchard in California, where migratory bee keeper, John Miller, has transported his hives to pollinate the crops. Miller has questionable motives for raising bees commenting, “That’s the sound of money,” when he hears them buzzing throughout the field. He continuously underestimates the bees’ intelligence and shows a blatant disregard for their safety, allowing field workers to spray his bees with harmful pesticides. The cinematography focuses in on a lone honey bee stumbling and struggling to cling to a flower while facing an onslaught of chemicals. Stephen Holden of the New York Times comments that, “If the film doesn’t directly blame colony collapse disorder on pesticides, it implies a strong connection” (para. 6). More than Honey does in fact link irresponsible excessive use of pesticides to the death of bees. Asserting that worker bees carry the chemicals back to the hive which infects the brood. As disturbing as this scene is, it is only the tip of the iceberg of how deeply rooted the problem goes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The film is structured in a spliced manner. Jumping from different bee related topics with interviews from experts, people from the bee industry, as well as voiceovers from the narrator’s perspective. The documentary touches on bees’ brains and how they function as a group as well as poor agricultural practices. Despite the many topics covered, More than Honey delivers clear and concise information to the audience. The film aims to cover and investigate a variety of possibilities for the bees’ disappearance, as Jason Schwartz says in his Greenpeace article, “Scientists know that bees are dying from a variety of factors—pesticides, drought, habitat destruction, nutrition deficit, air pollution, global warming and more” (para. 1). As Schwartz points out there are many factors contributing to the bees’ demise. Since the film attempts to explore most of the possibilities, even though the information is delivered clearly, the sheer amount of information can feel overwhelming at times.

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More than Honey poses multiple reasons for the pollinators’ decline. Exploring the effects of selective breeding as one of the possible causes, Imhoof shows breeders manipulating the genes to produce “desirable” traits such as increased docility. This practice, the documentary explains, lowers the genetic diversity making them susceptible to illness. Boris Baer, researcher of bees’ genetics in More than Honey, states that, “We shouldn’t try to produce specific traits, because then we’ll continue to lose genes and genetic diversity.” The godlike role humans play in the production of commercial bees is connected by the film to their weakening immune system.

 

Deadly parasites featured in the documentary, such as the Varroa Mite are another reason for the bees decline. In one scene, the light is darkened and the camera shows parasites invading a hive. Varroa Mites also known as Varroa destructors, are pointed out by the documentary to be about the size of a rabbit in human scale, and only reproduce in bee colonies. They viscously attack the bees, clamping onto them and sucking their blood. Leaving their wounds open and vulnerable to disease. A bee that suffered from a mite attack is shown to have deformed wings no longer able to fly and struggling for survival. Parasites have become an immense problem due to large scale bee interaction. As Imhoof states, “On the plantation, one and a half million bee colonies interact…and they infect each other with diseases and parasites.” An article from BeeHealth it is explained that Varroa Mites spread by clinging onto adult honey bees and travelling with them to the bee’s hive. The mites can reproduce at rapid rates and wipe out entire hives (BeeHealth).

 

 

 

Human negligence is the common denominator in all the factors snowballing into one large problem that is causing the bees to die.  When writing about the issues facing bees posed in the film, Michael O’Sullivan from the Washington Post in his review states, “the filmmaker is certain of one thing: It’s our fault.” True to that statement the film does not shy away from condemning humans for their harmful interference such as selective breeding and excessive usage of chemicals. An extreme example of the latter issue comes from certain regions in China where chemicals have been used to such an extent that bees have all but disappeared. In an eerie dystopian like scene showing the effects of the lack of pollinators Imhoof asks, “Who’s better at pollinating, man or bees? Science answers with a definite ‘Not man.’” It is sobering to see the consequences of humanity’s actions coming to fruition, and serves as a cautionary tale to other countries practicing dangerous agricultural methods.

           

The film shifts from an educational to a darker toned narrative as it elaborates on issues facing the bees; showing the bare truth on the effects it has on humans as well as the fault on humanity’s side. Imhoof and his crew flew around the world four times to make More than Honey and that dedication is evident in the final product. A common criticism refers to the narrative as “unstructured,” and it is not unfounded. The film tends to be disorienting at times because it jumps back and forth between scenes with different focuses. Perception of More than Honey is fairly positive, garnering a seventy-nine percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Those interested in environmentalism will enjoy this film and appreciate Imhoof’s passion poured into his work. Invite friends, maybe even a bee hobbyist or two and enjoy this educational documentary. Despite the darker tones, the film has hopeful notes reassuring that all is not lost, and it is important to remember going into this documentary that science progresses each year which might render some information obsolete. Depending on what year they watch it in, viewers should research what they can do to help the bees, and together humans can mend our bond with nature.