Colony (2009)

Director: Carter Gunn, Ross McDonnell | 82 minutes | documentary

Bees are important for our food. It is not something you think about every day, but without pollination, some crops have difficulty growing. The beekeepers are responsible for the highest possible pollination efficiency. They maintain their bee colonies and release them in the orchards of farmers who depend on honey bees for their crops. If America experiences a sudden, inexplicably high rate of bee mortality, the future of many beekeepers will be at stake. After all, they are largely dependent on pollination for their income, much more so on honey. The cause of the high mortality is being diligently sought. The finger is quickly pointed at pesticide manufacturers, but the solution does not seem to be so clear-cut.

A special focus has been chosen for the long documentary ‘Colony’. The story is centered around one family of novice beekeepers: the strongly religious Seppi family from California, whom the documentary makers followed for a year and a half. Father takes care of the basic finances with his job as a teacher, mother does the administration, eldest son Lance runs the company and the other children also do their own thing. The link with a bee colony is quickly made, after all: everyone has their own function there. Initially everything seems to be going smoothly, but halfway through the documentary the mood changes. The Seppi family is now also facing serious setbacks and is being put to the test. Tensions between family members run high when it turns out that mothers advocate tougher business practices than fathers and eldest sons.

In addition to the Seppi family, which has relatively little experience, the veteran beekeeper David Mendes – spokesperson for the American Beekeepers Association – is also followed. This ensures that the Seppis’ problem does not become an isolated issue. Mendes makes it clear in his stories that bee mortality is killing beekeepers everywhere. Moreover, he is the one who specifically searches for an answer to the question of what causes the high mortality. Pesticide manufacturers, scientists and other beekeepers have their say through him.

The big advantage of this approach is the time that can be spent with the family. The Seppi family comes to symbolize all struggling beekeepers. The choice is justified by the comments of other beekeepers, which show that they all face the same problems. The disadvantage is that there is less room for journalistic mapping of possible causes of bee mortality. But that doesn’t seem to be the aim of the documentary. It is a portrait more than a matter-of-fact accumulation of scientific facts. The focus remains on how people deal with the problem of bee mortality and what it means for their lives, not on its ultimate explanation.

Viewed in this way, ‘Colony’ succeeds extremely well in its purpose. And even though the documentary does not provide any solutions, the problem of honey bee mortality and the possible disastrous consequences are excellently addressed and enough starting points are given for a thorough follow-up. The beautiful shots (especially the close-ups of the bees are often phenomenal) make the documentary a true work of art. Bees appear to be special creatures that work without exception for the common good. People can certainly learn something from that.