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.
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)