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Vanishing of the Bees

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Gr 9 Up—This documentary focuses on the disappearance of honeybees through a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Since honeybees are an important species that pollinate fruit and vegetable crops across the United States, this concerns scientists, farmers, and beekeepers. The film highlights the experiences of Dave Mendes and David Hackenberg, two migratory beekeepers who earn their livings by transporting hives across the country to pollinate commercial farms. Clues suggest that farming methods and the use of pesticides may cause the disorder. The program is very informative about CCD and the business of beekeeping in general. The picture and sound quality are good. This informative film will serve as an excellent springboard for classroom discussions.—Ryan Henry, Daviess County Public Library, Owensboro, KY
In this beautiful, heartrending, yet horrifying film, North Koreans tell their stories of imprisonment, sexual slavery, torture, murder, and escape to China or South Korea during the nearly 50-year regime of Kim Il Sung (1912—94). The interviews are illustrated through the interspersion of dance sequences, archival news footage, and drawings. Particularly interesting are the North Korean propaganda films celebrating Kim Il Sung as God and showing in the face of mass starvation happy workers, elaborate military displays, and the creation of a new flower in 1988 in honor of the 46th birthday of Kim's son and successor, Kim Jong Il. A valuable time line traces 20th-century events in Korea. Bonus features include previously unreleased footage of camp refugees. This mesmerizing film displays excellent production values and is highly recommended for Asia collections.—Kitty Chen Dean, formerly with Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY
Reviewed by Kitty Chen Dean , Apr 01, 2011

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