The Legend of the Bird's Egg

Zdeněk N. Bričkovský founded the DÓMfilm company to produce documentary films about the life and culture of small nations. Since 2003 he has been working on a three-part documentary about the Republic of Komi, a small region in Northern Russia with a population of 300,000 people. The Legend of the Bird's Egg is the first part of the project. In the local language, Komi means "people of one family". Local people are proud of their ancestors and know their family trees far into the past. Family stands for order, support, help and joy. Just as they pass on their traditions, customs and skills from one generation to the next, they also share the local legends and myths which are still very much alive in this part of the world. The Legend of the Bird's Egg is an impressive report from a country where the folk magic mixes with pagan customs and Orthodox faith. The region where superstition can mean faith and where a miracle can be found in everyday life. The film is based on the legend of a petrified bird's egg - the heart of a shaman who was fighting against Orthodox missionaries. The heart got lost and if it were found again it would be a great hope for the whole nation - that is why people still keep looking for it. Sometimes it is enough to keep your eyes open because you could find it anywhere.