Vanishing of the Bees – Upcoming Documentary

Here’s a fun fact for you: without honeybees to pollinate them, it’s estimated that 100,000 species of plants would become extinct. Commercial honey bee operations also pollinate crops across the United States, helping in the production of almonds, apples, broccoli, onions, cherries, watermelon, and literally hundreds of other fruits and vegetables. In fact, one out of every three bites you take at the dinner table likely owes its existence to a honeybee.

But all is not well in the land of the honeybee. Thanks to something known as Colony Collapse Disorder (or CCD), honeybees are disappearing at an alarming rate across the globe. While scientists are still trying to determine the factors responsible for CCD (pesticides, anyone?), filmmakers Maryam Henein and George Langworthy have decided to spread the world by making a documentary called Vanishing of the Bees.

August 21st, by the way, is National Honeybee Awareness Day, so what better time to discuss this important project?

Filmed across the United States, Asia, Australia, and Europe, Vanishing of the Bees details the plight of the honeybee and educates viewers as to the potential disaster facing the human race if honeybees become too few. Commercial beekeepers Dave Mendes and David Hackenberg are followed as they try to keep their bees healthy and meet pollination contracts, and they’re joined by an assortment of concerned scientists and beekeepers. Three years in the making, this documentary is narrated by Ellen Page (Juno) and will be released in theaters in September of 2010.

Langworthy and Henein are doing their part to promote Vanishing of the Bees by visiting with environmental groups, beekeeping associations, gardening clubs, women’s associations, and many more. That still leaves a lot of territory to cover, however, so they’re relying on word-of-mouth to help promote this important film. If you can take part in an Internet campaign to hype a film about two idiots plagued by an invisible demon, surely you’re willing to spend a few minutes trying to help the environment.

And if you’re still not convinced, here’s the trailer: