The Honey Haven is a film about a man who finds refuge from the hustle and bustle of both corporate and urban life by indulging in the hobby of bee-keeping.
- Production Co: That Day Productions
- Produced and Directed by Alexis Krestin and Katy Reid
At first glance, the documentary short, The Honey Haven, seems to be a superficial glimpse at the technical aspects of bee-keeping, but in truth the four minute film is actually a cleverly disguised parable about the virtue and rewards of laboring for others. Filmmakers Alexis Krestin & Katy Reid follow hobbyist bee-keeper Toby Mason as he tends to bees at his apiary in Regent Park, London. The film is simply shot with the filmmakers choosing to have the central character address the camera directly and provide the audience with an overview of his bees. This gives the film a feeling of familiarity as if we were actually side-by-side with Toby at his apiary. Toby explains that the queen bee was shipped from New Zealand with four or five nurse bees because queen bees can't really feed or wash themselves, and one starts to realize why Toby is drawn to these curiously buzzing creatures - it's the that the bees take care of each other. He then reveals that after his last job he ended up with severe depression and addiction and ended up in a rehabilitation center, and we realize that bee-keeping has become a form of therapy subsequent to suffering intense job burnout.
The Honey Haven is a delicate and fascinating portrait of a man who's turned to nature to find refuge from the perilous 9-to-5 grind. If you'd like to watch the film, The Honey Haven can be viewed online at Four Docs.
