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If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would have only four years of life left.
Albert Einstein
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Bees are never far from the environmental agenda given their fundamental role in the food chain and the uncertainty that looms over their future. Â According to Greenpeace, 70% of the top 100 human food crops, which supply about 90% of the world's nutrition, are pollinated by bees.
Instead of overwhelming us with the bigger picture, filmmaker Andrew Gooi chooses to home in on bees at a grassroots level in his short film from the series Elements. We meet Derrick Shields, official beekeeper at The Farm at Agritopia, USA, who simply shares his passion for the 'hardest working creatures in the air,' a passion that grew from the inhumane way in which a bee colony was once removed from a neighbouring property.Â
Whilst Shields reflects on the serious job these insects do, he also reminds us about the uncomplicated humble beauty of bees in this inspiring short film. We see the bee keeper suiting up and carefully harvesting honey whilst sharing his gentle enthusiasm for bees, the humble and hard working insect that is fundamental to the sustainability of our food chain.
The film is beautifully shot, with plenty of bee close-ups, and it's always good to hear someone share their passion, particularly when it's this important. Take a look:
Air from Andrew Gooi on Vimeo.
Watch chef Eric Ripert turn his hand to bee keeping here
