Swarm

Synopsis

Swarm looks at contemporary attempts to use the behavior of honeybees to respond to the conditions of environmental collapse. The film explores the present state of the relationship between humans and bees and how it is changing through advances in ecology, robotics and artificial intelligence. Framed through the filmmakers’ own attempt at becoming amateur beekeepers, the film presents a comparative portrait of different initiatives that are trying to create new models for interacting with nature. Among these are a DIY beekeepers association, a biologist and swarm rescuer, a group of amateur entomologists tracking the decline in insect population, and the Artificial Life Lab in Graz, which has produced robotic bees and is developing an intelligent artificial beehive. Through these efforts, the film considers the ways in which, in the face of our current environmental predicament, developments in science and technology are redefining the role of humans within the natural world.