Entertainment

Dive into the sweet pot of ‘More Than Honey’

Colony collapse disorder is the name given to the frightening phenomenon where large groups of honeybees abruptly die off. It’s been in the news a lot lately, but it takes awhile before making an appearance in Swiss filmmaker Markus Imhoof’s superb documentary.

Instead, the director takes his time with a compelling narrative about how miraculous these creatures are. He shows how bees work, what the queen looks like, the “dances” they do to communicate, how they mate in midair. The up-close photography is disconcerting at first if, like me, you are basically terrified of the things. (One old-fashioned beekeeper uses zero safety equipment, and his so-what reaction to getting stung is more macho than any action film now playing.)

Fear wears off fast, however, and gives way to a deep appreciation of what draws people to bees. Apiculture is an uphill fight these days. John Miller, a commercial beekeeper who’s clearly a capitalist down to his bones, watches with grim frustration as a farm worker sprays an almond grove where bees are working, knowing his bees will be dying little more than two weeks later.

“More Than Honey” takes in all the things hurting bees — overbreeding, pesticides, farming practices that upset their life cycles. By the time we see Chinese workers slowly and painfully pollinate trees by hand, unable to perform a fraction of one hive’s work, it’s clear that Imhoof is issuing a warning. Without any preachiness, this magically beautiful film urges us to take better care of the bees, and honor the irreplaceable things that they do for us.