CHARLOTTE -- For people who've wanted to have a close, personal connection to hundreds of honeybees -- with no chance of being stung -- Charlotte film producer Jan Cannon has created a near-perfect opportunity.

Viewers of Cannon's new film "Health & the Hive: A Beekeeper's Journey" won't quite be able to sense the delicate passage of bees' feet across their hands and arms, but they are likely to feel a part of the beekeeping process and to appreciate the mystery of life in the hive.

The film explores the impact of honeybees in our lives by following the teamwork of many professions related to bees through their seasonal rhythms.

Cannon began his film career more than 30 years ago; for 20 years he was a potter, a studio artist influenced by the ceramic traditions of Asia. In 2005, he decided to return to making films that would record ideas about sustainability and Earth's limited resources.

"My message is that we have to be more respectful of nature," Cannon said. "When I make a film, I have a hierarchy of objectives: first to express beauty, second to inspire and third to inform. Having been a potter for 20 years, I think of myself as an artist who happens to be making films."

Lifelong beekeeper Todd Hardie of Honey Gardens Apiaries in Ferrisburgh is a central figure linking segments of "Health & the Hive."

"Todd loves the bees," Cannon said. "I think he was willing to be involved in this project to show people the beauty of the bees and that they are not things to be afraid of, but are essential for our survival."

As the film begins, Hardie is seen returning to his beehives in spring. "It is a joy to be back with the bees after a long winter," he says. "We are dependent on a string of partnerships with a team dedicated to the health of the bees, the land and the people."

Production of much of our food is directly related to pollination by bees, Hardie said.

Cannon spent many days over two years with Hardie and his crew as they cared for bees and made products from honey, elderberries, herbs and other plant resources. He recorded the insights of others, too, such as those of Quebec beekeeper Anicet Desrochers.

"Bees are our best bio-indicator that we have in nature. We should learn from them that if we have problems with our bees, it means that things around us are getting worse," said Desrochers, who said bees have been adversely affected by agricultural chemicals.