A profound, alternative look at the bee crisis from Taggart Siegel, award-winning director of “The Real Dirt on Farmer John,” that takes us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive. This alarming and ultimately uplifting film weaves together a story of the heart-felt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk, Vandana Shiva and Carlo Petrini.

In 1923 Rudolf Steiner, a scientist, philosopher and social innovator, predicted that in 80 to 100 years, honeybees would collapse. His prediction has come true with Colony Collapse Disorder where bees are disappearing from their hives in vast numbers with no clear explanation. In an illuminating inquiry into the insights behind Steiner’s prediction, Queen of The Sun takes us on a pilgrimage around the world unveiling 10,000 years of beekeeping and highlighting how our historic and sacred relationship with bees has been lost due to highly mechanized industrial practices.

Inspiring, entertaining and gorgeously photographed, this film explores the long-term causes that could create one of our most urgent global food crises and asks the essential question: How can we renew a culture in balance with nature?

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

For 30 years, Taggart Siegel has directed award-winning documentaries that present vital perspectives rarely seen on mainstream media. He is the co-founder of Collective Eye Films, a non-profit film production and distribution organization. Siegel’s past films include the highly-acclaimed The Real Dirt on Farmer John, The Split Horn and the Emmy-nominated Between Two Worlds.

INSPIRED? TAKE ACTION!

Ready to fight for the bees? Make your mark in your own community and in the world of bees with these actions:

• Plant bee-friendly flowers and flowering herbs in your garden and yards. Make your urban and rural spaces bee sanctuaries by keeping them pesticide-free. Creating a friendly habitat and fighting for bees can start with the spaces we frequent every day. Learn more
• Buy local, raw honey from a beekeeper who avoids the use of chemicals. Do the same with your produce. Purchase local, organic food from a farmer that you know whenever possible. The farmer's market is a great place to discover what's around you and begin asking questions. There's no stronger way to start saving the bees than to send a message with your money.
• Put up a mason bee house for our oft-forgotten solitary bees. These are simple and are as easy to put up as hanging a flower-pot or window-chimes. Put out a basin with clean water for honeybees, they're thirsty! Learn more
• Share solutions with others in your community. Be active in your community’s garden groups, beekeeping associations or other groups, and be a voice for change. You can do this by hosting a house-party or a community screening of Queen of the Sun. Don't want to take it on alone? Call a local environmental group and set up something as a team. 
• Join organizations such as the Xerces Society, Center for Food Safety, Pesticide Action Network, and others to petition your representatives to create change. The Queen of the Sun facebook page is a great hub to learn more.  Help us spread the word on social media platforms and make the change go viral!

GET INVOLVED

Crowdrise
The Do Something Reel Film Festival is excited to partner with Crowdrise to provide you with a way to get involved, and create change for the issues that are brought about in the films shown through the festival.

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Spikenard Farm & Honeybee Sanctuary
Situated in Floyd, VA in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Sanctuary aims to restore the health and vitality of the honeybee worldwide.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Why were bees so revered in the past and why do you think we've lost that connection?
• What would happen if bees and all pollinators disappeared?
• How has beekeeping changed in the past century? What problems have these changes created?
• List five contributing factors to bee decline and the reasons they are still problems today. 
• Why is artificial queen breeding weakening the queens? What are the bee’s natural way of creating a new queen?
• What is something we can do to help nurture and protect the bees?