The film, Queen of the Sun, to be publicly released in New Zealand on 21 April, is showing in the Union Church Hall, Stewart St at 7.30pm on Monday 18 April. Tickets are $10. The film is an in-depth investigation of the causes and solutions for Colony Collapse Disorder; a phenomenon where honeybees never to return to their hives. Queen of The Sun follows the voices and visions of beekeepers and scientists around the world, concerned for the survival of bees.
Green Party food spokesperson Sue Kedgley will be introducing the film. She will be bringing her petition, which calls on the Government to suspend the use of Neonicotinoid pesticides until ERMA has reassessed them. These pesticides which have been linked to bee deaths around the globe are widely used in New Zealand on crops and pasture. She explains that, “Bees are essential for our ecology, our food security and our economy, but Neonicitonoid pesticides attack the central nervous system of bees and weaken their immune systems, thus making them more susceptible to disease.” More information about the film is at www.queenofthesun.com.