For related articles and more information, please visit OCA’s Millions Against Monsanto page, Genetic Engineering page and our Honey Bee Health page.

Honey bees are responsible for producing one-third of your fresh fruits and vegetables, but they’re disappearing at a startling rate.

Since the mid-2000s, honey bees all around the world, including the US, have been dying in unprecedented numbers-many hives literally disappearing without a trace-in a mysterious phenomenon dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us?, created by Taggart Siegel, takes us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive. This engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists, and philosophers from around the world including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk, and Vandana Shiva. Together they reveal both the problems and solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature.

It also explores the ancient relationship between man and bees-a relationship that, historically, was considered nothing less than sacred. Returning to life in balance with nature is the ultimate solution, and when it comes to bees, it’s something we’ll
have to do lest we risk perishing right along with them.

Some 130 different kinds of crops require honeybees to transport pollen between flowers, prompting fertilization and jump-starting the production of seed and fruit. As they buzz around in flight, the bee’s hair develops static electricity.

When a bee lands on a flower, this static charge attracts pollen to the bee like a magnet. Honey bees from one hive can visit more than 100,000 flowers in a single day. Without honey bees, farmers would have to resort to pollinating their crops by hand, which is no quick and easy task…

Honey Bees Are Crucial for Our Environment and Survival

In an interview with
The Press, a daily newspaper in New Zealand, Taggart Siegel revealed the inspiration behind the film:

“I had no idea about the importance of honeybees until I read an article in 2007 that bees were not only so crucial to our environment, but that they were dying out on a mass scale…

The article had a quote attributed to Einstein which scared me enough to get me to pick up my camera and dedicate the next three years of my life to this film. The quote read, ‘If bees die out, man will only have four years of life left on Earth.’ Even though this quote has been since disputed, it had a lasting effect on me, and the truth is that bees are so vital to our planet that we can’t afford to lose them.”

Despite the somber topic,
Queen of the Sun is not a downer by any means. On the contrary, it’s filled with the heart of eclectic and passionate characters that inspire hope and gratitude for these most important of agricultural workers.