Overview

In autumn 2006 an unnerving phenomenon hit the United States: honeybees were mysteriously disappearing from hives across the nation, with beekeepers reporting losses of between 30 and 90 per cent of their entire colonies. The problem soon spread to parts of Europe and even Asia, earning the name Colony Collapse Disorder. To this day nobody is absolutely sure why it is happening and what the exact causes are. However, in 1923 Rudolf Steiner, a scientist, philosopher and social innovator, predicted that bees would die out within 100 years if they were to be reproduced using only artificial methods. Startlingly, and worryingly, his prediction appears to be coming true. ""Queen of The Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us?"" is a companion book to the critically-acclaimed film of the same name. Compiled by the film's director Taggart Siegel, it makes a profound examination of the global bee crisis through the eyes of biodynamic and organic beekeepers, scientists, farmers, philosophers and poets. Revealing the mysterious world of the beehive and the complex social community of bees, the book unveils millennia of beekeeping, highlighting our historic and sacred relationship with bees, and how this is being compromised by highly-mechanized and intensive agro-industrial practices. The bees are messengers and their disappearance is a resounding wake-up call for humanity! With full colour, stunning photography throughout, this engaging, alarming but ultimately uplifting anthology begins with an account of how Siegel's film came to be made. It continues with a wealth of articles, interviews and poems that offer unique philosophical and spiritual insights. Besides investigating many contributory causes of Colony Collapse Disorder, the book offers remedies as well as hope for the future. ""Queen of the Sun"" features contributions from Carol Ann Duffy, Taggart Siegel, Jon Betz, David Heaf, Gunther Hauk, Horst Kornberger, Jennifer Kornberger, Jacqueline Freeman, Johannas Wirz, Kerry Grefig, Michael Thiele, Raj Patel, Vandana Shiva, Jeffery Smith and Matthew Barton. These compelling voices signal a growing movement striving to found a culture fully in balance with nature.

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9781905570348

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Reviews

PRAISE FOR THE FILM QUEEN OF THE SUN: [B]rings together a vibrant array of ideas, information, musings, and art about the honey bee. From the poetic and esoteric to the scientific and specific, there is something for everyone in this book. --Thea Maria Carlson, Biodynamics Blog Visually sumptuous...lovingly shot, near-psychedelic imagery, which serves as an unusually visceral reminder of the rich variety in nature--and what's at stake if bees bug out for good. --Village Voice A lovely balance between scientific explanation and emotional advocacy...rich subject matter and persuasive presentation make this visually appealing nature documentary worth buzzing about. --David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

PRAISE FOR THE FILM QUEEN OF THE SUN: [B]rings together a vibrant array of ideas, information, musings, and art about the honey bee. From the poetic and esoteric to the scientific and specific, there is something for everyone in this book. --Thea Maria Carlson, Biodynamics Blog Visually sumptuous...lovingly shot, near-psychedelic imagery, which serves as an unusually visceral reminder of the rich variety in nature--and what's at stake if bees bug out for good. --Village Voice A lovely balance between scientific explanation and emotional advocacy...rich subject matter and persuasive presentation make this visually appealing nature documentary worth buzzing about. --David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

[B]rings together a vibrant array of ideas, information, musings, and art about the honey bee. From the poetic and esoteric to the scientific and specific, there is something for everyone in this book. --Thea Maria Carlson, Biodynamics Blog Visually sumptuous...lovingly shot, near-psychedelic imagery, which serves as an unusually visceral reminder of the rich variety in nature--and what's at stake if bees bug out for good. --Village Voice A lovely balance between scientific explanation and emotional advocacy...rich subject matter and persuasive presentation make this visually appealing nature documentary worth buzzing about. --David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

Author Information

TAGGART SIEGEL has been directing award-winning documentaries and dramas for more than 25 years. Reflecting cultural diversity with absorbing style, his films bring compelling voices and visions to a global audience. From spiritual elders struggling to preserve traditions in alien environments to marginalized youth surviving hostile streets, his films present vital perspectives rarely seen in mainstream media. The Real Dirt on Farmer John won 31 International Film Festival awards. His latest film Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? is currently being released around the world. Taggart is the co-founder of Collective Eye, Inc., a non-profit media organization based in San Francisco and Portland, Oregon. JON BETZ is a Portland-based documentary filmmaker and the producer of Queen of the Sun. He is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, where he received the Tiffany Rosen Scholarship Award for Excellence in Narrative Filmmaking and the Fine Arts Award for Excellence in Film. Jon's work strives to maintain a high degree of artistic craft whilst digging deeply into the spiritual, emotional and ethical issues surrounding his characters. He recently received an award from the Tacoma Film Festival for his film Memorize-you-saw-it, an intimate autobiographical documentary journal of his time as an aid worker with former child soldiers in Eastern Uganda.

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