The Eagle Huntress (2016) User Reviews

Heart-warming documentary with eye-candy photography

[paul-allaer · 8/10 · 3 December 2016]

"The Eagle Huntress" (2016 release from the UK; 87 min.) is a documentary about Aisholpan, a 13 yr. Mongolian girl, and her quest to become the first female eagle huntress. As the movie opens, we are introduced to the wide open spaces of western Mongolia, where eagles have been used for chasing "food and fur" for generations, but until now it was done exclusively by men. We get to know Aisholpan and her family. Her loving and doting dad has noticed his daughter's interest in eagle hunting and, against the better (?) thinking of certain other men in the local community, decides to train her. At this point we're 10 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of what's about to unfold would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this documentary is directed by Otto Bell, whom I've never heard of before. Not that it matters, as Bell and the entire production crew are "embedded" in Ulgii and the surrounding parts of western Mongolia, with seemingly unrestricted access to Aisholpan and her family. What we get is a heart-warming documentary about a young girl's determination (encouraged by a loving dad) to become an eagle huntress. Along the way, we get gorgeous footage of the eagle hunters in action (check out the slo-mo footage--pure eye-candy) but also a fascinating look at what daily life is like in this remote part of the world. And in the end, this is also about girl empowerment, pure and simple. Kudos to Aisholpan's supportive dad (and the rest of the family). When Sia's original song "Angel by the Wings" plays over the end credits (with the most appropriate line "You Can Do Anything"), I dare you to suppress a smile or approving grin.

"The Eagle Huntress" opened at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati this weekend, and I couldn't wait to see it. The Friday evening screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely, somewhat to my surprise (in the best possible way). Seems there may be a demand for this kind of family-friendly documentary with a deeper message that one might expect at first sight. If you love documentaries, you cannot go wrong with this one. "The Eagle Huntress" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Beautifully shot and heart-warming, but may have benefited more as a short film

[joshteggert · 6/10 · 27 February 2017]

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.

A unique documentary

[proud_luddite · 7/10 · 24 April 2018]

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

Beautiful and uplifting

[JohnDeSando · 3 December 2016]

"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.

Hard to believe this beautiful film is a documentary

[steven-leibson · 9/10 · 27 November 2016]

Filmed in a remote part of Western Mongolia, this beautifully shot film chronicles the coming of age of Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl who wants to become an Eagle Hunter like her dad, grandfather, and all male ancestors stretching back 12 generations. Her dad is all for it (quite a modern attitude, as it turns out) but custom dictates that eagle hunting (that's hunting with eagles, not hunting for eagles) is a male undertaking. Girls are too weak, fragile, get cold, etc. The usual explanations why a female can't do what a male does. However, Aisholpan is fearless. With dad's help, she climbs up and down a mountain to trap her own eaglet just before it's old enough to fly away from her. She trains it to hunt with humans. She competes in the local eagle-hunter festival in Ölgii (signage in the film is in Russian and English). All of this takes place surrounded by the beautiful but bleak mountains of the Mongolia steppe, carefully captured on film. (Looks a lot like Death Valley in winter to me.) These people are heroic just going about a nomad's daily subsistence life that's obviously hundreds or thousands of years old but adapted to modern times with down parkas, trucks, and motorcycles. Their lives are both far removed and yet arrestingly similar to Western life (minus the Starbucks). They care for their kids, drive, go to school, listen to the news on the radio, read by electricity stored from a solar array set up on a metal pole and a wooden stick.

The point: This movie captures a mostly pre-industrial society coping with 21st-century norms in a modern world, and with little to no extra effort as portrayed in this movie. For example, the film's Web page on Sony Pictures' site shows Aisholpan with a Go Pro Hero action camera strapped to her head, which explains where some of the film footage came from.

Billed as a documentary, we presumably see things as they happened. I couldn't say but nothing much goes wrong in this movie. Mostly, things go very right and the narrative just moves forward. Nevertheless, I was always cheering for Aisholpan, because she's a most worthy heroine.

A magnificent movie for everyone!

[ccmariposa · 10/10 · 25 October 2016]

Beyond the story, which is one of the most moving and inspiring ones that I've seen in a very long time, the photography and music took this movie to a level of perfection! You could hear everyone in the audience laugh, hold their breath and applaud throughout the movie. I think this film should be shown in every school. Both girls and boys will be empowered by this movie. They will be riveted to their seat. Everyone, no matter how confident, will feel inspired to do more, try more, reach higher. The innate bravery of this young girl and her belief that anything is possible, mixed with a father's complete support and love for his child is moving, exciting and was a very special experience. Please do not miss Eagle Huntress.

Beautiful to look at, but very problematic as a documentary.

[Jep_Gambardella · 6/10 · 9 December 2016]

Are we supposed to believe that a foreign documentary crew just started to follow this girl and her family around before there was anything at all remarkable about her, and that by luck they stumbled upon the one girl who would become an eagle huntress? Or that her father, upon realising that his daughter was going to break new ground in the hunting-with-eagles culture, got in touch with a foreign filmmaker to propose that as a subject for a documentary film?

The explanation that makes the most sense for the existence of this film is that the documentarist learned about the girl AFTER she had already become a huntress and then decided to make a film about her, recreating for the screen her past experiences. So everything that we see is probably fake. If it is fake, how do I know that I can believe any of it? Did she (an inexperienced 13-year old with a young eagle) really get first place in that tournament against older and far more experienced men and birds?

Was that a real eagle nest that she found with her father? Did she really go down to the nest to capture her eaglet? There is footage that can only come from a GoPro camera attached to her head, but in the long shots we don't see such a camera. Again, it must have been staged, so how do I believe it?

Outstanding exploration of Mongolian nomadic life

[rogermorris-30149 · 10/10 · 10 September 2016]

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.

This is not a Documentary

[rudden · 6/10 · 2 March 2017]

The visuals were beautiful, the characters endearing, and the story uplifting. But this movie seemed to me to consist almost entirely of carefully designed and staged pieces. Just a couple of examples: a) The capture of the egret from the nest. It includes shots from multiple angles, including a several shots from what seems to be a go-pro mounted on the huntress's hat. However, in the wide shots, no camera positions are visible, and there's certainly no camera on the huntress. Staged. b) The "interviews" in which the dubious elders initially express their skepticism, then their tolerance, then final grudging acknowledgment, were all shot at the same time, one after another, even though they're supposedly responding to events that happen at various stages of the movie. The lighting, costuming, and staging are clearly from the same recording session. c) The climactic competition sequence includes multiple ground level closeups of the action, which would require several cameras on the field. However, in the wide aerial shots of the same sequence, no other cameras on the ground are visible.

I could go on, but you get my drift. It's a beautiful feature film: but when the scenes are faked, one can't help but wonder how much of the story is true.

Inspiring, heart-warming and hugely mind-widening for any 'westerner'!

[shirley12vineyard · 10/10 · 17 September 2016]

What can I say more than the reviewer/user prior? This is truly a wonderful film. I saw it on the last day of our International Film Festival and somehow the word must have 'got around' as the cinema was well filled! As the previous writer noted, the relationship between the locals and the film-makers must have been excellent. I noted carefully the credits on its conclusion and most seem to be Euro/Anglo names - again interesting, that alone adds credit.

The blurbs prior made much of the negative attitudes of the traditional people, but a tremendous joy of this film is that the father was totally behind and with his 13-yr old all the way. The empathy and shared loved of the task and each other was greatly inspiring. He was a tremendous teacher. The context of the piece with its daily and dramatic challenges with almost none of 1st World intervention (okay - they had trucks, wore jeans, sweat-shirts etc at the school, but today nowhere in the world is cut off from some 'western' features, is it?) I think one class shown was in beginner English.

A viewer should not miss the deep but never forced spiritual/religious impetus. Is this part of world of 'old Islam' does anyone know?

A visually stunning feel-good doco

[eddie_baggins · 7/10 · 22 October 2017]

A feel good tribute to girl power, following your dreams and most importantly a bond between child and parent, The Eagle Huntress is not only one of the most stunning looking documentaries in some time but a likable and easy to digest tale of sticking it to the man and doing what you love no matter the nay-sayers.

Narrated by female heroine herself Daisy Ridley (who also produces this film alongside Super-Size Me filmmaker Morgan Spurlock), debut documentary filmmaker Otto Bell takes us to the harsh, unrelenting, yet utterly captivating landscape of Mongolia as we're introduced to 13 year old school girl Aisholpan Nurgaiv, who along with her nomad family lives away from the hustle and bustle of modern day society.

This nomad lifestyle Aisholpan lives just so happens to include the native tradition of eagle hunting that Aisholpan's father Rys is adept at and Aisholpan's love for this also means that she wants to be the countries first official eagle huntress in a society that views females as the servant of the wiser and tougher males.

Bell capture's the bond between Aisholpan and Rys that means he is supportive of his driven daughter no matter what others say and Bell also captures the incredible working relationship that develops between bird and human as Aisholpan raises her recently caught eaglet to become a keen follower of her voice and instruction, so that both human and feathered beast can compete in not only the countries esteemed eagle competition, but the dangerous hunt they must eventually partake in should they wish to truly be considered bonafide eagle hunters.

This heart-warming story allows for some breathtaking scenery and photography to take place. Mongolia offering up an almost otherworldly spectacle and the fierce prowess of the eagles themselves are a sight to behold while Aisholpan is an almost Disney like hero that just so happens to be a teenager and her drive to succeed is wholeheartedly commendable.

It's a shame then that Bell's film for some reason or another feels a little slight, some things feel unexplored in full while you can't but escape some scenes in the film are a little stage for dramatic effect. This could be in some stilted conversations that feel pre-rehearsed or so-called spare of the moment hunts/action scenes feeling a little to smooth for a fully-fledged documentary feel bringing home the sentiment that The Eagle Huntress has been Hollywoodized a little bit to make it more digestible to a larger audience.

Final Say –

A frequently fascinating and visually brilliant documentary, The Eagle Huntress is a film all ages can partake in and enjoy and the real life centrepiece of the tale Aisholpan is one of recent memories most likable and memorable heroes, made all the better thanks to the fact she is real, relatable and brave as they come.

3 ½ unlucky foxes out of 5

Better than Khaleesi and her dragons on Game of Thrones

[kbrownsirk · 10/10 · 26 October 2016]

Defying 2,000 years of tradition, 13 year old Aisholpan Nurgaiv inspires all around her with her skill, humor and persistence. This is both an incredible coming of age story and a reminder that we all should dream big. In the film, Aisholpan and her family introduce us to the incredible culture and tradition of the Kazakh nomadic herding people who live in the Altai Mountains region of western Mongolia, basically on the border of Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. Over the years this beautiful land, which the film uses drones to capture in all its splendor, has gone back and forth between Russia and China but is now part of independent Mongolia. Although Aisholpan steals the show here, the narration by Daisy Ridley keeps this exciting true life story incredibly engaging. I left the film both inspired and in awe. Total female empowerment film! As a proud father of two daughters, I can't wait for them both to see the film again with me!

Worth reading Adrienne Mayor

[EDLIS · 7/10 · 6 February 2017]

https://web.stanford.edu/dept/HPS/EagleHuntress2016long.pdf

The Eagle Huntress Ancient Traditions and New Generations By Adrienne Mayor [e-mail] May 1, 2016

Essential and interesting reading to get past the hype and western prejudices of what is a fine film with an ignorant vein about the place of women in Central Asian eagle hunting...

When she was interviewed in Mongolia's leading newspaper in 2016, however, Aisholpan's mother Alma gul stated that there are no restrictions on girls deciding to be eagle hunters. In the film itself, Aisholpan's father Agalai says, "I think boys and girls are equal."

Documentary??

[richardmelman-64797 · 3/10 · 22 February 2017]

If they had said it was 'based on a true story' or it was a 'drama documentary' I'd have given it 8 out of 10, but they didn't. They said it was a documentary. I don't think it is, unless you accept Grierson's definition of documentary as "creative treatment of actuality". But does anyone today think that Nanook of the North is a documentary?

The best documentary I've seen

[trekwithleena · 10/10 · 26 February 2017]

As this story is about a young Mongolian girl who is pursuing her dream to become a traditional Eagle Huntress like her father, you might be inclined to believe the main plot is about emerging feminism in modern Mongolia. But the true story is something much more magical. A traditional father who loves and supports his daughter, and a loving daughter who holds her father in the highest regard as a teacher. Nothing could be more true and touching, as he encourages her to be whoever she dreams to be.... a girl who wears bows in her hair, laughs with her friends, and can ride a horse and tame an eagle as good as any man on the steppe. A must watch.

Excellent

[jrob0914 · 14 February 2017]

Every not and then even in these times of made up stuff and the same actors playing many parts there comes a real story with real people. An absolutely beautiful movie that brought tears to my eyes from the first scene. This movie makes Falcon hunting look like a baby sport. Some of the greatest animals in the world the Eagles used to hunt in Mongolia. A tradition going back centuries that is for men only. And a young girl comes up and proves she is as good as the men. A progressive society in Mongolia that perhaps many other countries should mimic. The music by Sia I will never forget and the moral I will try to remember forever. Take heart, let your senses soar and enjoy this great movie.

Fantastic introduction for children to documentary films

[rb-20851 · 10/10 · 8 February 2017]

Really really good film ,fantastic photography ,great story very brave girl ,this will be watched for years,she deserves all the credit. The girl was so brave climbing down the cliff,not many would have done that with the mother eagle flying above ,that might swoop at any moment, what great trust and love between a proud father and his daughter.this film took us through step by step all the emotions and excitement of the training of her eagle.The moment her eagle flew in the competition in the fastest time ever was a tear jerking win that none of the judges could dispute and to see her father face full of pride,from such a strong powerful honest man of Mongolia .The winter filming of the hunt was stunning ,so cold the director did so well filming all this to show what a difficult life this hunting is and to prove she did it , Bell has produced a really good film of a lovely family living working laughing and winning together

How about the film crew?

[tasosdroulias · 6/10 · 6 November 2017]

When you see a footage of someone struggling alone against nature, don't you always wonder... is the person holding the camera also in danger? Why can't they help each other? Watching this film I had the same confusion i have with all the reality TV shows. Was it (1) a spontaneous shooting with the actors doing real life and just trying to ignore the massive presence of a movie crew. Or (2) was it just a theatrical reenactment of things that had happened in recent past? Or was it (3) pure acting based on a script? The creator of a documentary had always the power of montage, but when you get to decide how people will live and talk in real live is another level of deception. The suspicion of this deception destroys the true content of the artwork and you are left with just travel advertising no matter how beautiful and inspiring it looks.

Absolutely gorgeous

[Lugo1989 · 8/10 · 26 January 2018]

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.

Visually stunning yet felt fabricated.

[NodeConnector · 6/10 · 31 August 2022]

Wide Visuals of the Mongolian steppes and towering Altai mountains is breath-takingly beautiful in all the their colours, green, brown or white. The Nomadic lifestyle and modern western comforts are depicted truthfully, the embellishments starts when the main character is evidently coerced into aping pre teen clichés as per western standards such as nail polish and the fascination with fashion as this seems alien in the context and forced into the narrative. On one side its pushing the female empowerment and where as on the other is imprinting western female stereotypes. Nonetheless the father-daughter bond is portrayed beautifully as it evolves through the documentary. Somehow feels like its stuck in a uncanny valley between dramatized/acted performances and unobtrusive capturing of real moments. The ethnographic and patriarchal portrayal of the narrative are skewed romanticized version of the director, addition to the rumours of exploitation.

A Stunningly Realized Film

[bkrauser-81-311064 · 8/10 · 2 January 2017]

Since The Eagle Huntress is a documentary, I will do it the courtesy of getting directly to the point. The movie is stunning. It's beautifully shot, incredibly rendered and a substantial storytelling treat. It's the rare documentary that takes its admittedly small subject matter, a girl and her pet eagle, and capitalizes on the rich opportunities therein. Furthermore, if you took out Daisy Ridley's narration, and the side interviews that hammer home the fact that you're watching a girl power film in the best possible sense, you'd swear this film was a narrative feature.

The Eagle Huntress is the moniker of the young Aisholpan Nurgaiv; a 13-year-old girl who sheds tradition to take part in a sport exclusively for the males of her culture. For more than twelve generations, Aisholpan's ancestors used eagles to compete in falconry competitions, hunt for foxes and gain a form of status among the nomadic tribes of the Mongolian steppes. Tribal leaders and fellow Eagle Hunters of course, balk at the idea of Aisholpan's inclusion. But with the help of her supportive father (an accomplished Eagle Hunter in his own rite), Aisholpan tirelessly goes through the training to become the first female Eagle Huntress in history.

Part of her journey includes taking part in the Golden Eagle Festival in Mongolia, where Aisholpan and her eaglet compete in a myriad of events to determine the best of the best. Whether on purpose or a happy accident, the camera fastidiously captures every event with careful and visceral consideration. The blithe and even hostile looks people give our hero as she trots her horse towards the sign-in booth, gives the audience so much to invest in. The cherry on top is Aisholpan's newly minted hair pompoms which hang on her braids like an announcement of the changing winds.

Tucked in-between the festival and Aisholpan's first foray into winter time fox hunting are exquisite depictions of everyday nomadic life on the perilous steppe. Aisholpan and her young siblings play along the borders of their parents yert as the austere mountains threaten to envelope their livelihood. You get a sense both of the dangers of living in such inhospitable lands, and the allure of such a quaint and insulated existence among grass, rock and pebbled riverbeds. Though the majesty and the quiet dignity, there looms an omnipresent reality; these tribal groups have been living like this since before Napoleon, Charles II and the founding of the United States and will continue to do so far into the future.

If there is one drawback to a documentary this beautiful inside and out, it comes out of the blurring of reality and staged reality. Director Otto Bell has made it clear in interviews that parts of the film are edited out of chronological order in order to belabor its feminist message. Furthermore, if you're hyper-aware of the camera and its placement it's impossible not to conclude several shots were not candid shots. While I understand why these things were included, and while I agree that they don't necessarily break the tenuous rules of documentary film making, they hardly seem necessary given the subject.

And my what a multifaceted subject Aisholpan proves to be. Her steadfast love for her family, her spirit in the face of adversity and her uncompromising zeal for the sport she loves so very much, is enough to rank among the best coming-of-age stories. She's impossible not to root for - and I guarantee by the end, you'll love her for it.

Absolutely Magnificent

[gavin-crescenzo · 10/10 · 25 October 2016]

It is rare we see a film these days that encapsulates so much inspiration, truth, emotion, natural and artistic beauty all in one. It has succeeded in sharing more then one powerful message to its viewers and our youth especially, with a main theme being that hard work determination and support can achieve anything, no matter how big the challenge or norm. These real life characters were sensationally captured by the film maker, sharing their way of life, motivations and inner drive through a breath taking use of landscape, cinematography and directorship, without at all spoiling the simple perfections underlying the characters and location. There is not a gender, age group, or type of person who would not be moved by this film and enamored by the beauty of Mongolia, its people and the director and crew who so eloquently captured this story at the end of the earth and were talented and kind enough to share it with the word.

Really? I Just Couldn't Get With The Program

[poindexter_mellon · 2/10 · 16 December 2016]

I was disappointed. The plot was super thin and there was barely any character development. I'm sure she was a great kid and all, but I didn't feel I knew her in the slightest when the movie suddenly ended. Didn't really care all that much about her struggles. And yeah, was the whole thing staged or what? Like a recreation? A fabrication? I'm just not sure.

Seriously, I wanted to see an uplifting movie where a determined little girl torches some guys in a competition and teaches them that Girls Kick Ass So Get Outta The Way!!! But the competition was sort of lame. Then they go chase a scrawny fox. Then it's over.

The scenery was majestic. Mongolia is a sweet place with a bright future. This movie doesn't do it justice. But it looks like I'm the only one who feels this way, so maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. Or else the other reviewers are involved in some type of Freemason conspiracy. You be the judge.

Heartwarming and inspiring....

[planktonrules · 9/10 · 24 April 2017]

"The Eagle Huntress" is a heartwarming picture...something you really wouldn't expect from a documentary! And, it shows that despite our many differences, many values are universal.

The film is set in rural Mongolia. Fortunately, the narration (Daisy Ridley) is in English and you folks who hate captions won't have to struggle too much! It's the story of a very unusual 13 year-old, as she is working to be the first female ever to compete in trials with her Golden Eagle...and many of her countrymen are dubious about a girl...and a young one at that...having the right to even compete. Fortunately, her family is quite different, as her parents, particularly her father, are immensely proud of her. Seeing and hearing them interact...that was special and the film is both heartwarming and inspiring to know that many of our values and aspirations are universal. Very well made and well worth seeing.

Beautiful

[gbill-74877 · 8/10 · 11 September 2017]

I'll start by saying the cinematography by Simon Niblett is extraordinary. The scenery is gorgeous to begin with, sure, but it takes real skill to capture the shots he did, and that's what first and foremost makes this a film well worth seeing. The storytelling and pace from Director Otto Bell is also engaging, and it's such a unique tale. And who can forget the heartwarming relationship Aisholpan Nurgaiv has with her father Rys, both playing themselves? They are amazing people. There is a feminist message that is empowering to girls here, and it's a movie suitable for all ages. The film did take some heat for being described as a documentary, and while it's based on true events, it feels staged in portions and is a story told after the fact. Some get quite bent out of shape over that, and to them I would just say get over it and enjoy it for what it is – a beautiful movie.