Fun for children with Maya the Bee on Heritage Day

The delightful and much-loved children’s TV series, Maya the Bee, has been made into a feature film for the big screen.

In a South African first, the film has been released in three of the country’s official languages – in English as Maya the Bee Movie (also in 3D), in Afrikaans as Maya die By Movie and, in isiZulu as uMaya Inyosi iMovie.

There will be exciting activities for the kids to participate in, at select Ster-Kinekor sites on Heritage Day (24 September). These include various arts and crafts, colouring-in sheets, balloons and some Maya the Bee hampers up for grabs for some lucky prize winners.

The closest participating Ster Kinekor cinemas are at Greenstone Mall and also at Carnival City. The entertainment area is sure to be abuzz with activity from 10:30am to 15pm on Thursday.

Maya the Bee Movie is based on the German children’s book of the same name by Waldemar Bonsels, written over a century ago in 1912. It is directed by Alexs Stadermann, and features the voices of Coco Jack Gillies (as Maya), Kodi Smit-McPhee, Noah Taylor, Richard Roxburgh, Jacki Weaver and Miriam Margolyes.

The film is the big-screen adventure that follows Maya, a young bee who leaves the hive and embarks on a new adventure to discover the beauty and mysteries of nature. Freshly-hatched Maya is a little whirlwind of a bee who won’t follow the rules of the hive. One of these rules is not to trust the hornets that live beyond the meadow.

When the Royal Jelly is stolen, the hornets are suspected and Maya is thought to be their accomplice. No one believes that she is the innocent victim and no one will stand by her, except for her good-natured best friend, Willy.