Filmmaker Statement

I was inspired to make this film by a chance interaction with a Beekeeper named Andrew Brown in a London hotel lift. He gave me an elevator pitch about Beekeeping and the decline of Apis mellifera mellifera, aka The Europen Dark Honey Bee. The reasons for this decline are the same as those for other pollinators, namely agricultural intensification, agricultural chemicals, and the reduction in wildflower diversity. He explained the native honey bee is also under threat from non-native honey bees. As well as bringing in novel pests and diseases, these imported honey bees cross-breed with the native dark honey bees and dilute their genetic local adaptations. We stayed in contact and I was invited to his Farm in Cornwall to film various interviews with sustainable Beekeepers. I interviewed Jo Widdicombe who has been keeping bees for 50 years. I was fascinated by Jo's story and came back the next summer with DP Sam Finney to create a standalone film that revolves around Jo.