Mkrtich Armen's "The Bird" explores the moral dilemma between two elderly political prisoners, a historian and an ornithologist, who find a rare, stunned migratory bird. The ornithologist wants to tag the bird for a scientific discovery, while the historian argues they must use it to send a desperate note of their innocence to the outside world. Their debate is brutally cut short when the criminal brigadier seizes the bird, kills it, roasts it over their fire, and eats it, demonstrating that the harsh material reality of the camp overrides both science and humanitarian concerns.