Movie Review: 'The Eagle Huntress'
By Bill Wine
KYW Newsradio 1060
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- It's called The Eagle Huntress.
And it's that third word in the title that holds the key to this invigorating coming-of-age documentary.
Because it's about a Mongolian tradition going back generations that involves males of age who train eagles to hunt with them and enter hunting competitions.
And there's never been a female allowed to participate in this male-dominated pursuit.
Until now.
The Eagle Huntress, off to a good start on the film festival circuit, follows Aisholpan Naigurv, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to hunt with an eagle.
As narrator Daisy Ridley – one of the stars of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and one of the film's eight executive producers, along with Morgan Spurlock – explains, Aisholpan is fighting for the right to become the first female in twelve generations of her nomadic Mongolian family to train to become an eagle hunter.
Make that huntress.
Debuting director Otto Bell treats it like a folk tale about perseverance, employing breathtaking and riveting aerial cinematography in combination with verite footage to chronicle her journey, which allows him to explore several universal themes, especially female empowerment in both the ancient and modern world.
The bravery and ambition of this teenager, her fervent belief that anything is possible, in combination with her father's complete support in the face of criticism from disgruntled, disapproving elders, is – in the way it zooms light years beyond our Take Your Daughter to Work Day -- both fascinating and inspiring.
And, yes, as we witness this girl's stirring journey, Whale Rider comes to mind.
We witness her scaling of the side of an intimidatingly precarious cliff, where she waits for a mother bird to leave the nest and leave a juvenile golden eagle behind, then steals it, as is the custom.
She then applies the basics of the ancient tradition of falconry, as practiced by the people of Mongolia, which she has learned, training the bird of prey to hunt with her, to respond to her calls, to fly to her and land on her arm, and then to help her catch rabbits and foxes in the forbiddingly frozen but ruggedly stunning, snowy landscape.
To that end, Aisholpan bonds with her chosen eagle and prepares for her historic participation in the upcoming competition, the annual Golden Eagle Festival, during which we naturally root for this decided, likable, admirable underdog, reminded once again of what girls can accomplish if only they're given the opportunity.
So we'll train 3 stars out of 4 for the uplifting doc, The Eagle Huntress, which flies by. See it, if you can, with your daughters.
