Albert Einstein once said, “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, mankind would have only four years to live.” While that statement may seem extreme given the tremendous growth in food manufacturing over the last fifty years or so, the bee’s significance should not be understated. One-third of the food we eat still depends on the intervention of this insect regarded by many as little more than a nuisance.
As Imhoof explores the world’s dwindling bee population, he spotlights two beekeepers: Fred Jaggi, an enthusiastic third-generation apiarist living in Switzerland, who uses the same traditional methods as his grandfather, and John Miller, and owner of Miller Honey Farms, who transports his bees across America helping to fertilize industrial almond tree farms in the spring and then harvesting honey in the fall. Miller’s is a large money-making operation, and Imhoof uses it to explain how bees perform the important task of pollinating fruit trees. He contrasts this to rural China, where the use of pesticides has essentially wiped out the honeybee in many areas, forcing many farmers to fertilize trees themselves using cotton swabs.
Despite their vastly different approaches to beekeeping—Jaggi seems to treat the bees almost as pets, chastising them when they do something negative—both men are knowledgeable professionals who are deeply concerned with the unexplainable disappearance of bees. Imhoof wisely shoots the film in an observational manner, allowing neophytes to learn about bees and the fertilizing process.
Jaggi and Miller’s stories are occasionally pushed aside in favor of scientists around the world that are working to better understand bee behavior, which might provide insight as to why they’re dying off. Imhoof also visits factory farms where bees are being injected with a myriad of pesticides and hormones to make them less aggressive. They are than mated with feral bees, resulting in cross-contamination. While this section doesn’t provide any definitive answers as to why the bees are dying off, it certainly raises s lot of interesting questions.
Shooting digitally, with macro lenses, the cinematography, by Jörg Jeshel, is breathtaking. Whether shooting the interior of a hive, or the Swiss Alps, it feels as though the viewer is right there. The close-ups are unreal. We are treated to slow-motion footage of bees hard at work—harvesting pollen and mating in midair—it just might make you rethink squashing that bee flying around your head the next time you go to pick apples.
Presented in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio, More Than Honey looks quite good on Blu-ray, but there are a few compression issues to point out. Banding is visible in several shots throughout the film. There’s also some noise in a few spots. That said, my guess is that these problems are inherent in the original film, and not a result of Kino’s 1080p transfer. Sharpness is wonderful throughout, and colors appear realistic.
Kino offers up two audio options: a mix with the original German-language narration, from Swiss actor Robert Hunger-Bühler, and one with an English voiceover from the British actor John Hurt. Both are presented in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround, which for a documentary sounds superb. The buzz of bees sounds full and vibrant, coming at you from all directions. Dialogue is clean and clear throughout.
English subtitles are included.
The following extras are available:
- Markus Imhoof Interview (HD, 20:02) The writer/director/producer discusses his family’s history in the bee trade, why he decided to making the film, and editing down over 500 hours of footage.
- Deleted Scenes (HD) Includes “Bees in a Glass House” (3:22), “Artificial Hive” (3:45), “Bees on the Road” (4:03), “Pesticides and Brain” (8:36), “Queens via Priority Mail” (4:16), “Indian Bee Osmia” (3:22), and “The So-Called ‘Killer-Bees'” (5:51).
- Flight Into the Beehive (HD, 1:59) A behind-the-scenes look at the macro photography.
- In the Mountain Cave (HD, 3:06) A behind-the-scenes look at filming in New Mexico.
- Trailers (HD, 2:24 and 2:14) Both the German and English trailers.
- Image Gallery (HD, 8:32) A self-playing gallery with images from all of the film’s locations.
