Can't find anything good on TV? Seek out one of our favorite ecodocumentaries.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—Summer is typically a time for action movies and popcorn films. But these year has also brought some amazing documentaries, with elements found in big-budget blockbusters: mystery, suspense, and some seriously inspiring characters and cinematography. So make some time to find a screening, or acquire a DVD, of these creative takes on health and environmental issues. And while these may be serious topics, expect to get plenty of entertainment and inspiration along with the sometimes sobering facts.

Here are our recommendations:

Vanishing of the Bees
Honeybees have been mysteriously disappearing across the planet, a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder. Vanishing of the Bees explains how the situation puts the very food system at risk; honey bees pollinate crops, so without them, we're left without healthy food.

The film chronicles beekeepers around the world and in the United States as they work to save their bees, and ultimately, our dinner plates. The film is 90 minutes long, and is narrated by Juno's Ellen Page.