“Beyond ideology, a soldier compellingly heals regrets by nurturing life through farming, family, and charity.”
Eric and the Bees
After serving 20 years in the U.S. military, Eric retired to his family farm in West Virginia, but he was haunted by his experiences in combat. He discovered that beekeeping could transform his life and that of many others.
Director Profile
Erin Brethauer, Tim Hussin
Director Bios :
Erin Brethauer (Co-Director)
Erin Brethauer is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and photographer based in San Francisco. Her first feature film, Last Men Standing (2016), was co-directed while on staff at the San Francisco Chronicle. The documentary explores the physical and psychological effects of being a long-term HIV survivor and toured major LGBTQ+ film festivals worldwide. The film, along with a weekly video series she co-directed called The Regulars, were awarded regional Emmy Awards. Before moving to the Bay Area, Brethauer was a staff newspaper photojournalist for nearly a decade. Both her film and still photography work are recognized by Pictures of the Year International, Magenta Flash Forward, American Photography and can be found in publications such as California Sunday Magazine, National Geographic, The New Yorker and The New York Times. Her current work explores the personal effects of climate change and life after incarceration. Brethauer was a 2020 SFFILM FilmHouse Resident. She is currently co-directing a feature-length documentary about a group of residents in Paradise, California following the 2018 Camp Fire.
Tim Hussin (Co-Director)
Tim is a photographer and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker based in San Francisco. As a video columnist and filmmaker at the San Francisco Chronicle, he co-produced and directed a weekly video column and the newspaper’s first feature film. After leaving the Chronicle to freelance in the Bay Area, his work has been published by clients like The New Yorker, National Geographic, The Guardian, Pop Up Magazine, California Sunday Magazine, and commercial clients such as Lyft and Airbnb. Tim came out to San Francisco by bicycle from the east coast in 2012. This journey was one of the most challenging and amazing experiences of his life, and it’s the subject of his first feature-length documentary film, America Recycled, which follows the two-year, 5,000-mile bicycle trip that he took with his brother through hidden pockets of the American South. The film toured festivals worldwide. His current primary projects look at the personal effects of natural disasters, gun violence in the Bay Area, life after incarceration, and the unintended consequences of technology on modern urban life. He was a 2020 SFFILM FilmHouse Resident and is co-directing a feature-length documentary about a group of residents in Paradise, California following the Camp Fire.
Directors Statement :
When Eric Grandon discovered beekeeping, he had no idea that the bees would give him the power to transform both his own life, and the lives of many others. After serving 20 years in the U.S. military, Eric retired to his family farm in West Virginia, but he was haunted by his experiences in combat. After a particularly harrowing flashback, he was diagnosed with PTSD. Beekeeping was first used as rehab for soldiers suffering “shell shock” after the First World War. Finding himself suddenly at peace, Eric knew he had to help others. Now, he invites other veterans and first-line responders to his farm so they can experience the healing powers of beekeeping.
