Vanishing of the Bees
| Vanishing of the Bees | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | George Langworthy, Maryam Henein |
| Produced by | Executive produced by Holly Mosher, James Erskine, and Peter Heller |
| Written by | Maryam Henein, George Langworthy, James Erskine |
| Music by | Stars of the Lid |
| Cinematography | George Langworthy |
| Edited by | William Gazecki |
| Distributed by | Dogwoof Pictures |
Release dates |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $500,000 |
Vanishing of the Bees is a 2009 documentary film by Hive Mentality Films & Hipfuel Films, directed by George Langworthy and Maryam Henein and released in the United Kingdom in October 2009. The story is centered on the sudden disappearance of honey bees from beehives around the world, caused by the poorly understood phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD. Although the film does not draw any firm scientific conclusions as to the precise cause or causes of CCD, it does suggest a link between neonicotinoid pesticides and CCD.[1][2]
The UK cinema release of the film was supported by The Co-operative Group.[3]
Cast
- David Hackenberg as himself
- Michael Pollan as himself
- Simon Buxton as himself
- Ellen Page as narrator
- Emilia Fox as narrator ( UK Release )
Reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics, achieving a rating of 62 percent on Rotten Tomatoes based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10.[4] Stuart McGurk of The Sunday Times said that while the "subject is serious", and this film was "well intentioned and urgent", it was "let down by hammy narration, [and] a made-for-TV budget".[5] Philip French of The Observer called it a "serious, didactic, rather rambling documentary [that] features some good, decent people". He added that "The blame falls principally on pesticides (which began when chemical warfare techniques were switched to farming), monoculture (ie, the widespread specialisation in single crops), genetic engineering and the world's changing landscape. Governments, the film charges, are listening more closely to the producers of chemicals than to beekeepers."[6]
References
- ↑ Alastair Jamieson (30 September 2009). "Pesticides blamed for vanishing bees". The Telegraph. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ↑ Peter Bradshaw (8 October 2009). "Vanishing of the Bees". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
- ↑ "Plan Bee". Ethics in Action. Co-operative Group. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
- ↑ "Movies/The Vanishing of the Bees (2009)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, Inc. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
- ↑ McGurk, Stuart. "The Vanishing of the Bees". The Sunday Times. Times Newspapers. Retrieved 26 September 2010. (subscription required)
- ↑ French, Philip (11 October 2009). "Vanishing of the Bees". The Observer. London: Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
External links
- Vanishing of the Bees at the IMDB Retrieved 22 July 2010
- Official documentary website Retrieved 22 July 2010
- Review of Vanishing of the Bees at Empireonline.com Retrieved 22 July 2010
- Review of Vanishing of the Bees at www.guardian.co.uk Retrieved 22 July 2010