The Eagle Huntress

Not only does this film trace the remarkable achievements of the teenage girl Aisholpan who handles very major challenges in achieving the goal of becoming the first female ever to become a successful hunter using the eaglet she has trained from a nestling, but it also portrays the life of Kazakh nomadic herders in the Altai region of Mongolia better than any of the other Mongolian herder films I have seen (even the Weeping Camel, which was also outstanding). I have travelled in this area of Mongolia and the adjacent part of Xinjiang in China - it is a very tough environment for the people who live there, and making such a technically difficult film must have been extraordinarily challenging. The scenes where Aisholpan captures her eaglet and where the eagle catches its first fox are breathtaking, and the scenes showing the interactions among these very traditional people of the Altai region are so totally realistic the film makers must have established very good relationships with them first.

"It's not a choice, it's a calling that has to be in your blood." Aisholpan's father, Nurgaiv.

Rarely does a documentary tell it like it is; manipulative docs sometimes embellish with contrived conflicts or outrageously obvious re-creations. The Eagle Huntress needs no phony clashes or extensive re-enactments, for its hero is 13 year old Aisholpan, from Asia's Altai Mountains, the first female Kazakh in twelve generations to be a bona fide eagle huntress.

The Eagle Huntress is so beautifully shot you'd almost book passage to visit this isolated world in Mongolia by the China border. Director Otto Bell said, "It's not the end of the world, but you can see it from there." The air and sky are clear like we in the city have never seen, and the nomadic tribe that gives us Aisolpan is so loving and innocent as to make us wonder what our modern technology has taken from us.

I guess I am most impressed that the modern notion of female empowerment is played without histrionics among elders who question her fitness as a woman to compete in the annual Golden Eagle Festival. Aisholpan is the perfect model for early teen film goers: fresh faced, wide smiled, and ready for challenges. Director Otto Bell lets the male power gently give in to the age of feminism without acting like stupid old guys.

The Eagle Huntress works not just as a tract supporting the new woman but also as a treatise on simple, authentic life style where what one does trumps what one says. By the way, she's a perfect role model because she lacks the self-absorbed qualities of today's female heroes.

It's beautiful and uplifting in the most honest way a doc can be.

Despite the controversy surrounding the legitimacy of this documentary (notably being omitted from the Oscar nominations in its respective category, while still being tipped as a potential front runner), The Eagle Huntress is a decent release that follows the story of (supposedly) the first eagle huntress in Asia, Aisholpan Nurgaiv. Nurgaiv is decidedly keen on entering a local eagle hunting festival at aged 13, before then venturing out into the mountains to become a fully-fledged eagle huntress.

Being an eagle huntress entails training a three-month-old eaglet (after taking it from its nest that is), with the eventual outcome of being able to successfully hunt with it, before letting it go after seven years to complete the "circle of life". 

Undeniably, this is a challenging way of life that requires hard work and years to master. Yet the film portrays Aisholpan in a light that makes it feel like she is rather too conveniently good at the work and that she was always capable of achieving the end goal, thus it struggles to truly resonate when the all-important pinnacle moments arrive. Whilst it is fair to assume Aisholpan possesses some natural talent, we rarely see her fail or train with negative outcomes. Exploring this side would certainly have made the film more relatable, and although Aisholpan is indeed personable, and there are some moments with a heartening timbre, it is unrealistic to think she didn't have much of a challenge in her path towards becoming the first eagle huntress. That is, it is unrealistic to think that there were no other challenges, disregarding the challenge of gender. It is established that eagle hunting is very much a male profession, an aspect battled with constantly throughout the film, which even manages to have comedic impact at times, but unfortunately this gets  increasingly repetitive by the end and is not seen to contribute towards any definitive conclusion. 

That said, it is wonderful to watch Aisholpan and her father endeavour through the magnificent landscapes of Asia, as it is a superbly filmed documentary. This is most definitively one of the film's strongest attributes, as it feels often that it relies very much on nature to tell the story. Arguably it gets away with this, as the story is easy to follow, yet  largely inconsequential; as part of western society, it is pre-determined exactly what we are meant to think about Aisholpan's ambitions. While on the one hand there is an absorbing undertone of female empowerment, there is little else to try and convince us that the conclusion will not be precisely what we expect.

The Eagle Huntress is a visual spectacle, full of emotion yet not as resonant as it  potentially could have been as a short film.

The Eagle Huntress is a true soul candy. An inspiring story beautifully filmed. It is very interesting to see how different life is in the Altai mountains, unaffected by time and the modern world and yet, the people seem to be happy and get by despite living in harsh conditions. It is also the story of hope, dreams and change of tradition. A young girl who wishes to become the first eagle huntress and breaks traditions that are hundreds of years old. Her loving father fully supports here on her journeys and the bond between them is truly touching. It would be a shame to lose more words over it since it would be best if you start watching it a soon as possible. You will not regret it.

The subject of this documentary is Aisholpan Nurgaiv: a thirteen-year old girl from a nomadic, indigenous family in Mongolia. Her family, like others in her community, maintain a tradition in teaching the male members to capture a young eagle and train it to hunt for food and fur for the family. Aisholpan has an usually high interest and an inherent talent for such ventures herself thereby being the only known female in her community to ask to follow the path of the male lineage.

The sunny, winter mountainous scenery are a joy to the eye. Stunning vistas and aerial views are a gift to the viewer who can see the beauty without having to feel the cold temperatures.

The narrative of the documentary is pleasing though it has only minimal conflict and struggle (mostly against nature). In some ways, it is predictable. The final song to conclude the film is beautiful. But to choose it to round out this film seems to trivialize the experience through the perspective of western feminism. The movie is so much more than that.

The film is mostly a special father-daughter bonding experience. Aisholpan's amiable personality wins over her father, her community, and the audience. In fact, her father's support - and those of other family members - are paramount in her ability to break with tradition and do it so well. She never needs to be pushy, rebellious or troublesome. Her serenity is as much a strength as her abilities in eagle-training and hunting. This is seen in her day-to-day interactions at school and at home.

The special bond between the two is best seen when they are riding side-by-side on horseback each holding their hunting eagles on their right arm. The horses are riding in perfect unison. Add that to the magnificent background and it's a vision that's unforgettable. - dbamateurcritic