Director: Daniesky Acosta and Hugo Rivalata
Producer: Daniesky Acosta and Helen Yaffe
Presented by: Laura Rivalta
Genres: Documentary
Rating: +12
Language: English & Spanish with subtitles
Country: Cuba / Scotland
Year: 2023
Running time: 19 minutes
Research: Emma Shanon and Helen Yaffe
Cuban beekeepers are committed to organic and sustainable apiculture, avoiding chemical contaminants. This brings huge benefits to the island’s bee population and contributes to the overall well-being of the ecosystem.
Economic limitations and restricted access to chemical fertilisers and pesticides since the 1990s have catalysed a shift to agroecology and organic farming nationally. Honey production on the island is predominantly organic and primarily derived from wildflowers, giving it a distinctive flavour. The Cuban government has taken measures to safeguard and promote beekeeping as a vital component of sustainable agriculture.
In this documentary, Laura Rivalta takes viewers on a journey through Havana to hear from beekeepers and farmers about Cuba’s unique beekeeping practices. While, Emma Shannon, who did research on about Cuban apiculture at the University of Glasgow, compares the Cuban experience with the challenges faced by bees in Scotland and elsewhere. Through the exploration of Cuba’s beekeeping traditions, this documentary sheds light on the island’s sustainable apiculture.
Abejas Cubanas: La Revolución Orgánica
Los apicultores cubanos apuestan por una apicultura orgánica y sostenible, evitando los contaminantes químicos. Esto aporta enormes beneficios a la población apícola de la isla y contribuye al bienestar general del ecosistema.
Las limitaciones económicas y el acceso restringido a fertilizantes y pesticidas químicos desde la década de 1990 han catalizado un cambio hacia la agroecología y la agricultura orgánica a nivel nacional. La producción de miel en la isla es predominantemente orgánica y se obtiene principalmente de flores silvestres, lo que le confiere un sabor característico. El gobierno cubano ha tomado medidas para salvaguardar y promover la apicultura como componente vital de la agricultura sostenible.
En este documental, Laura Rivalta lleva a los espectadores de viaje por La Habana para escuchar a apicultores y agricultores hablar de las singulares prácticas apícolas cubanas. Por su parte, Emma Shannon, investigadora de la apicultura cubana en la Universidad de Glasgow, compara la experiencia cubana con los retos a los que se enfrentan las abejas en Escocia y en otros lugares. A través de la exploración de las tradiciones apícolas cubanas, este documental arroja luz sobre la apicultura sostenible de la isla.
Festival Official Selection, Screening, and Awards
- World Food Forum Film Festival / Rome, Italy 2024 at the UN FAO HQ (🏆 Best Focus on Agrifood Systems)
- Frome International Climate Film Festival / United Kingdom, 2024 ( 🏆 Net Zero Film Award )
- Lift-Off First-Time Filmmaker Sessions 2024 / United Kingdom, 2024 ( 🏆 Audience Choice Winners )
- Latino & Native American Film Festival / United States, 2024 ( 🏆 Environmental, Social, Economic, Political Justice Award)
- Rural Action Film Festival / England (🏆 Overall Winner Award 2024 )
- Havana Glasgow Film Festival / Scotland, 2023
- ISLA VERDE - (GREEN ISLAND) Caribbean International Film and Environment Festival / Cuba, 2024
- International Ecological TV Festival TO SAVE AND PRESERVE / Russia, 2024
- Italia Green Film Festival / Italy, 2024
- CBF Caribbean Film & Arts Festival / Jamaica, 2024
- Marin County Fair International Festival of Short Film & Video / United States, 2024
- Inheritance - The Environmental Festival / United Kingdom, 2024
- Montrose LandxSea Film Fest / Scotland, 2024
- Los Angeles Lift-Off Film Festival / United States, 2024
- 6º Festival Internacional de Cinema Ambiental da Serra Catarinense / Brazil, 2024
- The NGO International Film Festival / Italy, 2024
- Havana Glasgow Film Festival Cuba tours the Small Isles / Scotland, Isles Eigg and Muck, 25 -31 July 2024
- Bio Film Festival / Italy, 2024
- The Science Film Festiva / Angola and Brazil, 2024
