A 13-year-old girl climbs down a cliff, takes a golden eagle from its nest, and enters a hunting contest dominated by grown men. And beats them.
I first heard about this one through Tim Ferriss’ “5-Bullet Friday.”
Trailer for “The Eagle Huntress”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- The men in Aisholpan’s family have hunted with golden eagles for generations. But Aisholpan becomes the first girl to compete at Mongolia’s annual Golden Eagle Festival.
- Aisholpan beats roughly 70 experienced eagle hunters and wins the competition.
- During one event, her eagle comes flying down the mountain and lands on her arm in just five seconds, setting a festival speed record.
Watch “The Eagle Huntress”
You can find “The Eagle Huntress” on Prime Video.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 91/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 94/100 (Users); 86/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note: “The Eagle Huntress” is directed by Otto Bell. The 87-minute documentary was his first feature film. Daisy Ridley, best known as Rey from “Star Wars,” serves as an executive producer and provides the English narration. Most of the film itself is in Kazakh.
Release Date: 2016
The film was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary.
Other Unique Stuff
- Not everyone is as open-minded. The film interviews older Kazakh eagle hunters who explain why they don’t think women belong in the tradition.
- Golden-eagle hunting requires a partnership with a wild predator, not a domesticated pet. Much of Aisholpan’s training is about getting the bird to respond reliably to her calls.
Wrap Up:
Come for the eagle flying off a mountain at Aisholpan’s arm; stay for the father who never seems to doubt that his daughter belongs there.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc