A Bee's Diary (Tagebuch einer Biene)

By: Dennis Wells
Germany, 2021, 92 min

Cankarjev dom Cinema A Bee's Diary (Tagebuch einer Biene)

Celebrating the World Bee Day and the 12th anniversary of urban beekeeping at Cankarjev dom

The documentary, filmed over a space of three years, sets out to capture the intimate life of a winter and summer bee. The adventurous journey of a single bee is shown, from its birth to the founding of a new bee colony. The latest camera technology and special post-production process allow for a unique visual language that provides spectacular insights into the world of bees. We learn that bee colonies are not as homogeneous as we think. They are full of different individuals with very different tasks, abilities and even preferences. The film is suitable for both young and adult audiences, bee lovers and researchers alike.

While working on a film about wild bees, I learned from Bee Scientist Tugrul Giray, from the University of Puerto Rico, that bees can dream when they sleep. I wasn’t even aware that bees slept (supposedly, even snored), let alone dreamed. I asked him how he knew that. Giray explained that bees have a dream state because, apart from flying, the only other time that they move their antennae in a distinct and unique way is when they sleep. That was why he theorized that bees have a dream state. Like dogs twitching their paws or howling in their sleep. Of course, no one knows what they're dreaming about.
Dennis Wells