Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography
Pilot animation studio
Aeroplan production company
present
We live in Russia.
The Russian flag is white, blue and red.
Our capital is Moscow.
There are many parks and gardens here...
and a beautiful zoo, also.
Animals from around the world live in that zoo:
from the tiny hummingbird...
to the big and strong Amur (Siberian) tiger.
Russia has borders with a total of 16 countries,
and these borders are one and a half times longer
than the Earth's equator.
In the East, the Amur river...
...forms the border between Russia and China.
For many ages, this part of the world has been home to the Nanai people -
natural born hunters and fishermen.
Since childhood they hunt in the taiga...
and make their living through the fur trade.
The taiga is home to the Amur tiger and leopard -
these species are critically endangered...
and are on the Red List.
In ancient times, the Nanai had to protect their lands...
...from invaders - the militant Manchu.
Marvellous stories have survived about that...
...and each of them is like a precious gem.
Mountain of Gems
A man who falls asleep in a beast's den will awake as a beast. (folk belief)
There is an exception to every rule. (folk wisdom)
The Heart of a Beast (based on Amur fairy tales)
It was a long time ago.
A Nanaian lad lived by the Amur. He was named Udaga
He was a deft hunter...
and always had his piece of luck.
He never killed beasts without a purpose...
and would never hurt his fellow men, either.
Once, Udaga had been out hunting in the taiga for many days.
And he thought of his village,
its old shaman and the shaman's granddaughter, Cholchinai.
Udaga and Cholchinai had loved each other since they were children.
He also remembered his younger brother...
and how Cholchinai had given him a charm as a present, for luck.
Udaga became home-sick, and decided...
to hurry back to his village.
Udaga?
Udaga!
Udaga?
Udaga!
Udaga...
Then the old shaman told Udaga about everything...
...that had happened in the village.
Udaga!
Udaga... Udaga!
Such was Udaga's story.
Ever since, they would say in the land of the Amur:
If you have a brave heart and defend the weak,
you will gain the strength of a bear and the deftness of a tiger.
scriptwriter & director Andrey Sokolov art directors A. Sokolov, Mihail Zheludkov music & sound Lev Zemlinskiy
The End Subs by Mountain of Gems, Eus, Niffiwan