Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us?

Let me be frank for a second here: Bees are just horrid little creatures. They have stung, buzzed and pestered their way straight to the top of my most-hated insects list. I still don't forgive, nor do I ever forget, the bee that flew into my Coke as a kid and inevitably ended up stinging the inside of my mouth. Not cool. Not cool at all.

Putting my tumultuous past behind me, it has become more and more evident over the past five years or so that these buzzy lil bastards are in serious danger. They are, after all, one of the main supporters of human life, right behind plants and trees. Their ability to pollinate is the life source for the majority of the crops we consume. Through a variety of environmental affairs, mankind is rapidly eradicating these ancient life-givers. "Queen of the Sun" is a social commentary that concerns everyone on the planet. Moreover, it's a love story with a rather grim outlook.

The variety of perspectives exhibited in "Queen of the Sun" are overwhelming at first, but one thing remains constant: The situation regarding bees has become critical. Everyone from agricultural experts to hippies with their own bee farms pretty much agree that steps need to be taken to avoid the extinction of this pivotal species. If you enjoy environmental documentaries in the same vein as "Food Inc." and "Forks Over Knives," then you will love the inspiration behind "Queen of the Sun."

Admittedly, the film is embarrassingly hokey at times given the amount of free spirits lending their expertise on the subject, but all in all it's a film with its heart in the right place. It exudes an honesty and urgency that is sorely lacking in most socially conscious documentaries.

I was disappointed at the lack of special features included with the DVD. One would think with a documentary such as this, there would be more in the way of helping viewers become more involved. There is a blurb at the very end of the film regarding what you can do to support the bee population, but aside from that there's very little proactive inspiration exhibited.

Film: 3.5 Yaps Extras: 2 Yaps