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QUEEN OF THE SUN: WHAT ARE THE BEES TELLING US? is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis, this honeybee documentary takes us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, including the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers.
Director: Taggart Siegel
Share this film. Help to spread the message, by considering hosting a screening.
Avoid using synthetic pesticides on your plants, both indoor and outdoors. Whenever possible, purchase organic food, cleaning products and textiles.
Join Slow Food International, a global organization linking the pleasure of good food with a commitment to local communities and the environment. They pay special attention to the essential role of bees.
Protect bee swarms. If you see one, call your local authority or a professional beekeeper.
Support the Pollinator Partnership and Pollinator Week, a global initiative to raise honeybee awareness.
“In the fall of 2006, newspapers around the United States began to publicize a unnerving phenomenon. Honeybees were a mysteriously disappearing from beehives all around the nation. Dave Hackenburg, a outspoken beekeeper, and the first to raise a stir about the crisis, reported that bees were simply vanishing from his hives.”
What can you do to help change the bee crisis? Check out the QUEEN OF THE SUN webpage for some alternatives!
“Originally, I didn’t even imagine being a filmmaker. I wanted to be an anthropologist…”
Director Taggart Siegel talks about the journey leading him to documentary filmmaking, and the making of QUEEN OF THE SUN.
ReThink interview filmmakers Siegel and Betz. Watch the interview here.
“The origins of the ban lie in a series of scientific papers showing the doses bees are likely to receive in the field are enough to cause them significant harm, either killing them outright or interfering with their otherwise phenomenally impressive navigation and learning skills.”
An article discussing the possible effects of the ban of neonicotinoid insecticides and the changes that are still needed.
“The difficulty of debating the subject of genetically modified (GM) foods is they are so new that we don’t really know how they affect the human body–they just haven’t existed long enough to draw conclusive facts. However, we don’t need to wait around for decades to see how scientifically engineered foods will impact our nutritional health…”
Check out the list here.
Listen to our playlist with music from the film on Spotify.
An editorial discussing the possible hyperbole of the discourse concerning honeybees.
Did the beekeeping bug bite you while watching QUEEN OF THE SUN?
Beekeeping can be a fascinating hobby, a profitable sideline, or a full-time occupation.
This in-depth manual is all about beekeeping—understanding honey bee biology, getting started, managing bee colonies for fun and/or profit—and is designed to help you become a successful beekeeper. Welcome to the world of beekeeping.
Dr. Tammy Horn, the author of “Bees in America” walk us through the history of the much-debated honeybee from the very beginning to the possible end.
Read the blog-post on the New York Times.
