Pien, Queen of the Bees (Pien de bijenkoningin)
Ajyal Competition - Ajyal Youth Film Festival 2016

Ellen Vloet / Short Documentary / Netherlands / 2015 / 16 min / Colour / DCP2K / In Dutch / Arabic, English subtitles / Qatar Premiere
Rated: Parental guidance is advised for viewers under the age of 13. Individuals under the age of 13 are not admitted into cinemas unless accompanied by an individual aged 18 or older.
Synopsis
When the ongoing depletion of the world’s bee population through illness and pesticides, which threatens human life on Earth, came to young Pien’s attention, she decided she had to do something – so she became the youngest beekeeper in the Netherlands. At the same time, Pien is being treated for bone cancer, which at times keeps her from increasing her bee colony. This gentle documentary is a tribute to one young woman’s passion, bravery and selfless compassion.
About the Director
Ellen Vloet was born in the Netherlands in 1982 and completed film studies at the University of Amsterdam and at Hofstra University in New York. In 2012, she directed her first documentary ‘Florentijn Hofman: Larger Than Life’, about the sculptor. The film had its premiere in 2013 at the Dutch Film Festival and was broadcast in the Netherlands and Belgium. ‘Pien, Queen of the Bees’ is her third short documentary about youth, following ‘Little Miss Piggy’ (2013) and ‘Tough Cookies’ (2015).
Credits
- Director
- Ellen Vloet
- Producer
- Renko Douze, Hasse van Nunen
- Editor
- Katarina Turler
- Music
- Benny Sings
- Cinematographer
- Roel van 't Hoff
- Sales Company
- Een van de jongens
- Production Company
- Een van de jongens