Nature | PBSback to FilmsSilence of the Bees
Tiny animal. Big Mystery.
Imagine a city of millions silenced overnight. In early 2007, mass disappearances occurred across the United States as millions of honeybees suddenly vanished, leaving behind empty hives and stunned beekeepers. With the growing concern came a newfound awareness of the importance of the honeybee, a fascinating and complex creature responsible for pollinating a third of our food supply.
SILENCE OF THE BEES takes viewers inside the hive and to the frontlines of a critical investigation, from crop fields to laboratories in the U.S., China, Australia, and across Western Europe. Winner of the 2007 PEABODY AWARD, SILENCE OF THE BEES combines stunning macro cinematography and natural history with a riveting whodunit mystery, raising important questions about our relationship with the planet. Humans have never lived without honeybees. Could we survive without them? Join the urgent race to make sure we never have to find out.
- Written, Produced and Directed by
- Doug Shultz
- Editor
- Mark Fason
- Director of Photography
- Peter Schnall
- Supervising Producer
- Peter Schnall
- Coordinating Producer
- Whitney Johnson
- Original Music
- Gary Pozner
- Narrator
- F. Murray Abraham
- Additional Cinematography
- Daniel Traub
- Jerry Risius
- Mark Lamble
- Additional Editor
- Craig Rinkerman
- Production Assistants
- Amber Freiwald
- Peggy Leggat
- Sound Recordists
- Paul Alfe, Carlos Luis Daniel
- John Murphy, Olivier Sifre
- Patrick Tillman, Robert Sylvain
- Mark Wellman, Chris West
- Merce Williams
- Location Managers
- Sandrine Dumas, Froggie Productions, France
- Lu Bo, China
- Roland Palugod, Camino Media, Spain
- Phantom Technician
- Gregory Wilson
- Assistant Editor
- Alexandra Meistrell
- Sound Design & Mix
- Brian Beatrice
- Color Correction
- Sandy Patch
- Animation
- Phlesch Bubble, Inc.
- Special Thanks
- County of HanYuan, China
- CENYC Green Market
- Eric Coolidge
- Han Yuan TV
- Maggie Miller
- Olympus America, Inc.
- Palais Garnier
- Regents Park London
- Whole Foods Market
- —For Nature—
- Series Editor
- Janet Hess
- Series Producer
- Bill Murphy
- Executive Producer
- Fred Kaufman
- New York Times, October 27,2007
- “Silence of the Bees is an enlightening and emotionally exhausting “Nature” report..."
- 2007 GEORGE FOSTER PEABODY AWARD
- Winner
- 2007 News & Documentary EMMY AWARD nomimations:
- Best Writing, Best Cinematography, Best Research, Best Editing
- 2008 Wild Talk Africa Roscar Award
- Winner, Best Script
- 2008 Telly Awards
- Silver Winner in TV Nature/Wildddfe
- Bronze Winner in TV Copywriting
- Bronze Winner in TV Cinematography
- 2008 U.S. International Film and Video Festival
- Silver Screen Award in Nature, Wildddfe
- Silver Screen Award in Environmental Issues & Concerns
- Silver Screen Award in Writing, Concept
- Certificate for Creative Excellence in Cinematography
- 2008 International Wildlife Film Festival
- Merit Award for Script
- Merit Award for Scientific Content
- Merit Award for Graphics & Animation
- 2009 New York Television Broadcasting Festival
- Winner Nature & Wildlife
- 2008 Banff World Television Festival
- Environmental Programs Hors Concours
- 2008 National Press Club Ann Cottrell Free Animal Reporting Award
- Broadcast Category: Honorable Mention (2nd Place)
- 2008 Ektopfilm
- Winner Sustainable Development Film
- 2007 Genesis Awards
- Commendation
- 2008 Bird and Nature Film Festival (Festival de l'Oiseau et de la Nature)
- Official Selection
- 2008 Greendance Film Festival
- Official Selection