Until the Buzzing Stops

Until the Buzzing Stops is a documentary that follows Ali, a Syrian refugee in London, who copes with trauma and displacement by returning to beekeeping—a tradition taught by his grandfather. Finding healing and purpose through bees, Ali starts Bees and Refugees, a social enterprise that supports fellow displaced people through beekeeping.

Over four years, filmmaker and fellow refugee Habak documents Ali’s journey, forming a deep friendship. As Ali works to build an urban bee farm, he faces external obstacles and internal struggles, including guilt, homesickness, and questions of identity and purpose.

When the Assad regime falls, Ali and Habak return to Syria, only to find a changed homeland. Ali dreams of rebuilding with a bee farm and community garden in Damascus, but political instability and emotional scars pose new challenges.