Film Special: "Eagle Huntress"
This thrilling documentary follows a Mongolian teen as she trains to become the first female eagle hunter in her family. Post-film presentation featuring special guests from VINS.
Post-film presentation featuring special guests from VINS.
Aisholpan is a plucky, a 13-year-old Mongolian girl who wants to become an eagle huntress. If she succeeds, she will become the first female in twelve generations of her Zazakh family to do so. While there are many old Kazakh eagle hunters who vehemently reject the idea of any female taking part in their ancient tradition, Aisholpan’s beloved father Nurgaiv believes that a girl can do anything a boy can, as long as she’s determined.
The documentary follows Aisholpan as she trains with her father’s bird for months in preparation to capture and train her own eagle. Only then can she enter the famed Golden Eagle Festival and compete against 70 of the greatest hunters in the region. Set against the breathtaking expanse of the Mongolian steppe and using innovative camera drones, the film’s awe-inspiring cinematography gives this intimate tale an additional dramatic sweep. Produced and narrated by Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), this young girl’s quest is a hero story for us all. D: Otto Bell, UK, 2016, 101m
Read an Exclusive Filmmaker Letter from director Otto Bell
Presented in partnership with the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS).
