A Living Curiosity: Storytelling as an Invitation to Wonder

“The medium is the message.” That’s one of the first things that we, as digital media students, learn at Dordt University. In telling stories, for example, each medium—such as film, music, or books—has unique traits that shape its storytelling.

In thinking about what medium will best deliver a message, it's helpful to consider the amount and type of participation from the audience the creator wants. Think of medium as either a roller coaster ride or a bicycle ride. Reading a book, for example, is somewhat like riding a bicycle, in that the reader helps propel the experience through imagination and interpretation. They must be able to imagine people and imagine and interpret tones and themes through words alone. Watching a film, on the other hand, might be more like a roller coaster: the experience is carefully designed and guided by the filmmaker, using visual cues like lighting and music to help the audience arrive at the intended interpretation of characters and themes.

Golden Work is a 10-minute dive into the work that goes into keeping bees. Specifically, it examines a Christian perspective of being stewards of creation and how bees influence the lives of everyday people, as well as the lives of those who keep them. As producers with little to no experience or knowledge about bees or beekeepers, a natural curiosity led the start of the production. Our initial intrigue created the opportunity for us to get close-up and see the intimate workings to sustain a colony. However, research and interviews with three beekeepers, Adam Adams, Duane Bajema, and Ron Rynders is where our curiosity grew into something greater. It turned into a respectable understanding about the fundamentals and importance of the work that bees and beekeepers do, but also, it instilled in us a sense of responsibility.

Going back to the roller coaster analogy, filmmakers—especially in documentaries—must be careful with how they handle the material gathered, balancing accurate representation with “creative treatment of actuality." In Golden Work, our approach was to showcase the things we observed as objectively as we could. Simply put, the ultimate goal of Golden Work is to give testament to the work of beekeepers to reveal the importance of bees. However, there is also a larger discussion to be had about why this medium is effective and why and how people can learn from a short documentary like Golden Work.

As mentioned above, the unique power that visual storytelling has is its ability to stir specific emotions in an audience. Take Golden Work, for example. We were able to turn something local—like beekeepers in Iowa—and something familiar—like bees—into a broader understanding of and call to stewardship.

As the documentary unfolds, it gradually transitions from discussing the hobby of beekeeping to then the larger questions and themes surrounding it. Things like declining pollinator count and the spiritual reason or calling for keeping bees. As a member of the Sioux Center community, there was something meaningful about getting to know the specific work of devoted beekeepers in my local community. Our role as producers became inviting audiences into the lives of local beekeepers through carefully capturing the dedication they bring to their hives. When done effectively, this kind of portrayal can foster a similar sense of attentiveness and respect in viewers. The more the filmmaker can immerse the audience and get them to care about the story, the more they can transfer messages through the medium.

One of the reasons visual story is so effective is how capable it is to quickly immerse an audience into a narrative. Part of this is its ability to use sight and sound to convey meaning. An example of this is the climax of Golden Work. Where the music is at its loudest to amplify the emotion in the moment. The captivation of moving pictures with the added immersion of sound can make for an almost real life experience. This is true for short films too. Because there is much less time to fit narrative in, the material is forced to be distilled down to its finest parts. All of the emotional weight is concentrated and the theming is usually very obvious throughout. This is how short films are different from feature length films. While both are capable of leaving the audience with a particular emotion or message, short films face the unique challenge of limited time, forcing them to practice careful discernment in presenting only the details that drive the themes forward with clarity.

Short films like Golden Work allow audiences to quickly form an emotional connection with the subject matter. In our documentary, for example, the film asks the audience to first understand the importance of bees, and then to reflect on the purpose behind what we do. In Golden Work, one possible answer is found in the idea of working for the glory of God. The beekeepers emphasize the importance of being caretakers of creation, and Adam Adams specifically references Jeremiah 29:4–5: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.”

By pairing powerful footage with real-life testimonies, filmmakers can encourage reflection and deeper questions. In visual storytelling, the impact comes from lasting images and ideas that stay with the viewer and help them better understand themselves and the world around them. When films raise these kinds of questions, they stay with the audience beyond the viewing. Our hope is that films like Golden Work spark curiosity and wonder in viewers, the same kind of curiosity we started with in production.

About Golden Work:

Golden Work is a short documentary produced by students Jackson Visscher and David Wibowo that explores the craft of beekeeping and its role in caring for creation. Through interviews with beekeepers Adam Adams, Duane Bajema, and Ron Rynders, alongside carefully curated footage of the bees themselves, the film offers an intimate look at the dedication and skill required to maintain a hive.

Beyond the practical work of beekeeping, Golden Work examines the personal and emotional connections that draw people to the practice. The documentary seeks to understand why its subjects keep bees and what lessons they have learned through the experience. Along the way, it also raises important questions about declining pollinator populations, climate change, and the responsibility of future generations to care for the natural world.