The Eagle HuntressOtto Bell

An adult eagle can get up to 7 kg and is therefore not a small cuddly bird. Nevertheless, Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, is not afraid to hold them. She decides to become a female eagle hunter, against all odds and the (all male) tradition. In The Eagle Huntress filmmaker Otto Bell combines breathtaking cinematography of an almost unreal and beautiful landscape with a heartwarming story about changing social structures.

Aisholpan lives with her family in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia. She is expected to stay at home and look after her brothers and sisters. But Aisholpan wants to delve into the family tradition which uses eagles to catch foxes for their fur. Will she be able to prove herself and hold her own in a centuries-old tradition dominated by men?

 

At first sight The Eagle Huntress resembles an archetypal ethnographic documentary film about an ancient people knowing how to survive in a harsh environment. But many modern elements sneak into this movie, and not only in terms of technology.  GoPro and drones provide brilliant images, but also Aisholpan's personality and characterization stands for an indication of the changing social structures we see all over the world. Part of the 'better-than-Disney' magic in this film is a result of the charismatic father who supports his daughter, despite the critical and somewhat disapproving community.



Vertoond op editie(s) 2017
Screened at edition(s) 2017

Info

Directed by Otto Bell
UK, Mongolia
87 min.
Kazakh
Subtitles: Dutch

Programme

Young Docs

credits
Director

Otto Bell

Producer

Otto Bell, Stacey Reiss, Sharon Chang

Production company

Kissaki Films, Stacey Reiss Productions

Cinematography

Simon Niblett

Editing

Pierre Takal

Music

Jeff Peters

Contact info
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(beschikbaar vanaf 20.03)