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Last Bee

Last Bee is an observational feature documentary currently in production, directed by Gaylan Nazhad and Ji Yang. The film follows an 89-year-old beekeeper living in a mountain village in China, where he has sustained his family through traditional beekeeping since 1978. Now, in the final chapter of his life, he continues to care for his hives despite physical decline, environmental pressures, and the rapid transformation of the world around him. Living with his daughter, whose daily acts of care and support shape the rhythm of their shared life, he remains devoted to a practice that has defined his identity for nearly five decades. Meanwhile, his son, who works far from the village, embodies the uncertainty of whether this knowledge and way of life will continue into the future.

Filmed over four seasons between 2026 and 2027, Last Bee adopts a patient, observational approach, allowing moments to unfold without narration or formal interviews. Through the changing landscape of rural China, the intimate routines of family life, and the demanding labour of transporting and tending to the hives, the film reflects on resilience, ageing, tradition, and the fragile relationship between people and the natural world. As tourism, industrialised beekeeping, and environmental change reshape the village, the film explores what is lost when older ways of living are pushed to the margins, and what it means to persist in the face of inevitable change. Last Bee is currently in production and is scheduled for completion and release by the end of 2027.

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