More Than Honey

Switzerland, Germany, Austria

2012

91 Min

Color

German, Swiss German, French, English

Currently 3.4/5 Stars.
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PROD Helmut Grasser, Markus Imhoof, Thomas Kufus, Pierre-Alain Meier

SOUND Nils Kirchhoff, Dieter Meier

Locarno (Piazza Grande), Toronto (TIFF Docs)

Synopsis

Man is the antagonist. Most beekeepers love their animals but caught in economic necessity they have to demand peak performance. That applies for the charming Austrian queen breeder Heidrun Singer as well as to the American beekeeper John Miller, who sends his 15.000 colonies all over the continent, following the bloom of economic plants. Beebroker John Traynor pulls the strings. He negotiates between farmers, beekeepers and the global market – which rules over plant, men, animal and machine alike.

In a frightening similarity they all succumbed to its all embracing power. The bees are confronted with new challenges all the time, having to take on new burdens. What we mistake for nature turns out to be a contaminated agricultural wasteland. But even the paradise of the Alps offers no respite: Fred Jaggi kills bees that are not purebred – whilst the pure races die from centuries of inbreeding. The longer the film observes man and bee, the more likely it seems that this live, determined by outside forces, must end in a catastrophe…

Director

Markus Imhoof

Markus Imhoof was born on September 19th, 1941, in Winterthur, Switzerland. His father was professor for German and History on the Technical University Winterthur. His mother, born on a mission station in India, was an English teacher, his sister Ursula who is three years older than him studied French and Italian.
The experiences with the two Red Cross refugee children from Austria and Italy who temporarily lived in his parent’s house later inspired the film «The Boat is Full».
Secondary school in Winterthur, studies in German, History of the Arts and History in Zurich, lic. phil. I. (licentiate about «Brecht’s plays in view of his theoretical works»).
Assistant for Leopold Lindtberg in the Playhouse Zurich.
Birth of children Barbara, 1966, Biologist, and David, 1969, actor.

1967 and 1968: Filmschool at The School for Arts and Crafts Zurich with Kurt Früh and teachers of the Polish Film School Lodz.

1970: Foundation of the Nemo Film GmbH together with Fredi… read more