Colonies in Conflict

Synopsis

“Colonies in Conflict” is a feature length documentary that examines the state of wild bees in a fast-developing Indian landscape. In a first ever, migratory honeybee species Apis dorsata (Rockbees, giant Asian honeybees) – native to south Asia – have been filmed extensively over various landscapes to find out how big an impact people have had on insect populations. Human action is causing pollinator declines all over the world spelling disaster to nutritional security and the biodiversity of our ecosystems. Filmmaker Rajani Mani gives a first-person account of how expanding cities are wiping out native bee populations, starting from her own neighbourhood.

In trying to save bee colonies in her community from being decimated Rajani inadvertently stumbles into the world of wild bees. She discovers that we have very less time to reverse the catastrophe we started, but every species stopped from extinction would help hedge our bets in an uncertain future.