Pim Zwier

An unconventional documentary set around the beginning of WWII that reveals German ornithologist Max Schönwetter’s fascination for the egg.

O is set in the first half of the 20th century when German ornithologist Max Schönwetter is devoting himself to his life’s work, the scientific handbook of the egg. As he collects and studies 19,206 eggs, WWII breaks out. It is an archive film, based on the historical correspondences of Schönwetter. Different passages form a collage of voice-overs, while in staged scenes the documentary contrasts Schönwetter’s small world of egg collecting with enormous events unfolding on the world stage.