Vanishing of the Bees (U)

Fascinating subject, expertly covered that is a wake-up call to us all

Directors: George Langworthy, Maryam Henein
With: David Hackenberg, Emilia Fox
USA, 2009, 1 hour 37 minutes

Mon 8 March 2.15pm, Thur 11 March 2.15pm The Courtyard Hereford

A cautionary tale about the mystery of the disappearing bees, its possible causes that are linked to industrial farming and our attitude to the natural world. Star of the show is the commercial bee farmer who rang the alarm bell when his bee colonies collapsed and his business was decimated. What is extraordinary is the scale of the commercial bee industry in the USA, the distance the bees are shipped and the fact that people are surprised that bees don't respond well to the treatment they receive. A wake-up call to us all about how dependent we are on the fragile balance of the natural world that we understand far less well than we think we do.