Merilin Pedastsaar
The MAFF Egg
The MAFF (Matsalu Nature Film Festival) Prize Egg represents the highest honor for the best filmmakers in the realm of nature cinema.
The creator of the awards, Merilin Pedastsaar, has remarked, "The Matsalu Nature Film Festival is a fascinating phenomenon. Notably, the festival coincides with the clucking flocks of cranes, both gathering by the shores of Matsalu Bay each autumn. Birds and humans share a common desire—to share stories, forge new connections, and reunite with old friends, moving forward together once more.
The films that reach MAFF are like eggs from the same nest, each telling its unique story on the silver screen to nature enthusiasts. They prompt us to deeply consider our everyday decisions, enriching viewers with new knowledge and nourishing the soul with the beauty of life. We cannot love what we do not know! Thus, as a metal artist, the egg seemed to me the only conceivable form—a symbol of the beginning of new life.
Merilin Pedastsaar
The creation of MAFF eggs begins in spring when the geese start laying their eggs. They lay the eggs, and I coat them with copper using the electroforming technique. Then, I entrust the egg to time. This process gives each egg a unique copper patina.
The smaller MAFF eggs originated from a workshop at the festival. The idea was to recast empty brass cartridge casings into commemorative MAFF eggs with friends, introducing festival guests to the technology of metal casting while prompting them to consider that every action has a consequence and things can change very rapidly. It also aimed to highlight that what is waste for one might be a valuable resource for another. Thus, empty brass cartridge casings were collected from shooting ranges, and bronze filings leftover from large company lathes were gathered, giving new life to what was once discarded.
