California to Switzerland
“More Than Honey” will give a sweet taste of a realistic documentary
Review by Jenny Alvarez
– Kino Lorber is part of the critically acclaimed documentary version narrated by Oscar®-nominated actor John Hurt (Alien, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows).
The original theatrical version (with narration in German) is only available through the film’s official website.
Born into a family of beekeepers, Oscar®-nominated director Markus Imhoof (The Boart is Full) tackles the vexing issue of why bees, worldwide, are facing extinction. With the tenacity of a man out to solve a world-class mystery, he investigates this global phenomenon, from California to Switzerland, China and Australia.
More Than Honey Exquisite macro-photography of the bees in flight and in their hives (on a par with the brilliant cinematography of Microcosmos) reveals a fascinating, complex world in crisis. This is a haunting and lyrical film that raises questions of species survival in philosophical, as well as apiary, terms.
The relationship between mankind and honeybees, about nature and about our future is in risk. Honeybees show us that stability is just as unhealthy as unlimited growth that crises and disasters are triggering evolution and that salvation sometimes comes from a completely unexpected direction.
The cinematography, by Jörg Jeshel, is spectacularly and free from polemics, but it is an alarming call to action and is full of passion, sincerity and intelligence make it a worthwhile contribution to a situation baffling the scientific and bee-keeping communities.
