Colony The Endangered World of Bees DVD Review

Colony The Endangered World of Bees is a sobering look at the danger of Colony Collapse Disorder among honey bees in California and the impact that it has upon different areas of agriculture and economy .  Directors Carter Gunn and Ross McDonnell interview long time beekeeper David Mendes for his input on the potential crisis.  Mendes provides some interesting insight and points out some of the potential damage that the disorder could cause if it is not brought under control.

The documentary also focuses on another California family, The Seppis, who have decided to enter the world of beekeeping during the time when the industry is at its most vulnerable.  The Seppi brothers and their mother run their beekeeping business efficiently, with all family members playing a part, exactly as a colony of honey bees does.  This approach has allowed them to keep their head above water even as the big consumers of honey attempt to strongarm the suppliers into selling their honey for less.  I felt this part of the documentary was an interesting human interest piece that might even trump the Colony Collapse Disorder as the most interesting arc on this DVD.
The big threat to the bees is discussed but never to the point that I felt like I had a firm grasp on the problem.  The scope of this disorder is unclear.  I was unsure whether it was confined to California or was a global problem.  I also would have liked a brief history on Colony Collapse Disorder.  Is this a new issue or an older one that has spread and is now more severe.
The best thing about Colony is the cinematography.  When the cameras focus on the symmetry of the hives and show the bees up close the results look fantastic.  When bees are shown flying in slow motion it is one of those things that reveal the beauty of nature.  I honestly would have liked to see a Blu Ray release of this for the nature cinematography.

I found Colony an interesting documentary that doesn’t quite make up it’s mind as of what to focus on.  The portrayal of the Seppi family, who keep bees for a living, and have adapted somewhat to a bee-like colony approach to running the family business is interesting enough to spawn a second short documentary instead of fitting it into this look at the plight of the bees in California and the danger of their extinction due to Colony Collapse Disorder.

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