Mother of Returns
direction, cinematography and editing:
Michał Bernardyn
script:
Michał Bernardyn, Anna Wątorska
music:
Piotr Pałka
sound:
Michał Kuczaj
narrator:
Leszek Kopeć
production management:
Anna Wątorska
production:
soul seed media
CASE STUDY
Mother of Returns — the story of a shrine, the mountains and people who always want to return
“Mother of Returns” is a documentary film dedicated to the small Shrine of Our Lady of Happy Returns at Morskie Oko. The history of the place is the starting point, but above all the film tells the story of people — of mountains, journeys, memory, prayer, music and the need to return.
The tragedy that began the story
The origins of the shrine are linked to a tragic event that took place more than a hundred years ago. According to the story passed down over time, workers cutting ice from Morskie Oko for the mountain shelter were buried by an avalanche.
Sources concerning the event itself are incomplete, and over the years different versions of its details have circulated. What is certain, however, is that the tragedy became the beginning of the memory associated with this place and of a shrine dedicated to those who did not return from the mountains.
A shrine that returned itself
The original shrine was eventually completely destroyed. It was later replaced by a metal relief, which remained there until the early 1990s.
In 1992, the process began of restoring the shrine in a form inspired by the highland tradition. A place of devotion to Our Lady of Happy Returns was created, and the shrine once again became a distinctive element of the landscape around Morskie Oko.
At the beginning of the mountain trail
The shrine hangs on a Swiss stone pine beside the path leading from the mountain shelter at Morskie Oko towards Czarny Staw. It faces the mountains, at a place offering a panorama of the Tatra peaks.
It is also the beginning of many further hiking and climbing routes. People pass this spot on their way high into the mountains, as well as on their return. This location gives the name of the shrine a particularly clear meaning.
More than a return from the trail
Over time, the idea of a “happy return” began to mean much more than coming down safely from the mountains. A community grew around the shrine of people who also understand returning as a spiritual and deeply personal experience.
Mountaineers, hikers, clergy, musicians, families and people connected with the Tatras meet here. For some it is a place of prayer, for others a place of silence and reflection, and for others simply an important point on a mountain journey.
DOCUMENTARY
From the story of a place to the stories of people
We did not want to make a film that would merely chronicle the creation of the shrine. Its history became the starting point for a story about contemporary people who come to Morskie Oko and find something important for themselves in the mountains.
The documentary brings together the Tatra landscape, the spoken word, music, prayer and the personal experiences of its protagonists. In this way, a small object hanging from a tree becomes the centre of a much larger story about journeys and the need to return.
The image of the Tatras
The mountains are not merely an impressive background in the film. Morskie Oko, the trails, rocks, forest and changing light create the space in which the entire story unfolds.
The cinematography was intended to preserve the majesty of the Tatras while at the same time allowing the viewer to experience the silence and intimacy of the place connected with the shrine.
Music, voice and atmosphere
The soundtrack is an important part of the documentary. Music by Piotr Pałka, narration by Leszek Kopeć and the natural sounds of the mountains guide the viewer through the story without taking away the images’ own rhythm.
The film was structured so that the history of the shrine connects with a more personal, reflective story about people in relation to the mountains, memory and faith.
Scope of work
- documentary concept
- research and preparation of materials
- script
- direction and production
- documentary cinematography
- landscape cinematography in the Tatras
- recording interviews and documentary material
- sound recording
- voice-over narration
- editing
- post-production
- documentary film production
PREMIERE AND BROADCAST
From Morskie Oko to television
The preview screening of “Mother of Returns” took place in the old refectory of the Dominican Fathers in Wrocław. The film was subsequently broadcast on Religia TV, Planete+ and Poland’s TVP, where it continued to be shown for many years.
The full documentary runs for approximately 39 minutes and remains a record not only of the history of the shrine itself, but also of the community of people who over the years created their own tradition of meetings, music and mountain journeys around it.