The directing debut of longtime documentary cinematographer Peter Nelson, The Pollinators is predictably pleasing to look at: As with similar nature-oriented films, one can count on slo-mo closeups that catch insects in flight; panoramic views of heartland farms; and scenes of workers toiling while the faintest strip of sunlight vanishes on the horizon.
But the pic is more fact-forward than its pedigree might suggest — a film about processes and practicalities in the economy of beekeeping.
Doc consumers may well feel they've seen enough on this topic. But Pollinators, which addresses agricultural systems shaped by American chemical companies, has very little in common with last year's celebrated, Macedonia-set Honeyland; and its examination.
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