(The) Eagle Huntress (2016)

“(The) Eagle Huntress” (England/Mongolia/USA, 2016, 101 minutes.)

The film follows Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in 12 generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter –rising to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been handed down from father to son for centuries. Set against the breathtaking expanse of the Mongolian steppe.

As every eagle can only have one master, the time has come for Aisholpan to capture an eagle of her own. Clambering down a sheer rock cliff with a rope, she retrieves a fledgling eagle from its nest as its mother circles overhead. Her eagle will live, train, and hunt with her, until she releases it into the wild years later so the cycle of life can continue.

Received 19 nominations, resulting in eight wins, at film festivals and critic lists.

Sponsored by Judy and Jordan Johnson, Kimberly White