The Dragon's Egg: Making Peace on the Wreckage of the Twentieth Century (1999)

• 65%
• 1999
• Documentary
• TV Movie
• Allan King

A third of Estonias people are Russian, most of them put there by Stalin. For Estonians it is like having a dragons egg laid in your nest: you wait in fear for it to hatch. The Russians in Klooga, an abandoned Soviet Army base, are struggling to build a community with their new Estonian neighbours. Estonians would rather not give Russians citizenship, residence or jobs: they wish they would go home. But for the Russians, Klooga is home. A group of American scholars exploring ethnic reconciliation and democratic practice, led by Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Vamik Volkan, has $50,000 to offer any group of Estonians and Russians who can work together for a common goal. Twenty Russians and Estonians in Klooga form a committee and size the challenge to build a better life for their children. The Dragons Egg chronicles the complex, funny and touching struggle of courageous people forging a future for themselves amidst the ruins of war.They learn what it takes to build a democracy. We learn that it cannot be given; it must be earned.