The story of the Eagle Huntress is simple and heartwarming. Otto Bell's fairytale documentary unfolds amidst . It must have been small if you were all sleeping in the ger. It has been announced that Paul Levitz will write World's Finest which will follow Power Girl and the Huntress (Helena Wayne) trapped in the new 52, trying to make their way back to . It's different for film critics or sophisticated cinemagoers, but we did want it to be a film for young people and their families. Its a documentarians dream: incredibly charismatic protagonists, majestic landscapes, underlying social issues, and a classic David and Goliath tale. Bell: When we did get money and things started to take off, we flew Simon over to sit with the colorist for a week and do the final mix. Archaeologists have been able to take a closer look at one of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks. They're busy. We shot the film principally on a RED Epic in 5K. The Eagle Huntress follows the story of Aisholpan, a 13-year-old Kazakh girl from Mongolia, as she attempts to become the first female eagle hunter to compete in the eagle festival at Ulgii, Mongolia, established in 1999. In 2010, falconry historian Dennis Keen photographed Makpal with her eagle. He is a two-time champion in the annual Golden Eagle festival; his father was a champion, too. She belongs to a family of nomads who spend their summers in a ger in the Altai Mountains and their winters in a house in town. The Eagle Huntress is so beautifully shot you'd almost book passage to visit this isolated world in Mongolia by the China border. How lucky we all are to have known her, and how awful that we have to say . "better-than-Disney magic" - a spot-on assessment of this breathtaking film. Bell characterizes Mongolia as backwards and claims that because the Kazakhs live in such isolation they are ignorant about what women can do. Interviewed in Mongolia's leading newspaper in 2016, however, Aisholpan's mother Alma stated that there are no restrictions on girls deciding to be eagle hunters. The Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is a monument in Turkestan, a city in southern Kazakhstan. In retrospect, it was the biggest gamble I've ever taken. And I thought, 'My God, this girl is the real thing'.". How did you do it? The monument was Tamgaly in Kazakhstan, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, provides evidence of the rich history and diverse cultural heritage of Central Asia. Aimoldir's father, Mana Dayanbek, believes that Aimoldir is destined to be an eagle huntress because Kazakh nomads . He was broke, but a friend had years earlier given him an email address for Morgan Spurlock, the gonzo documentary maker who came to fame with Super Size Me. Returns home to carry on the family legacy Central Asia the men in her left hand and forearm is 2016. Trained golden eagles have served Kazakh hunters of Mongolia for a millennium, and eagle hunting is a skill traditionally passed down from father to son. Man in Peru Caught Out Drinking With an 800-year-old Mummy! Looking forward to seeing this. But they are made possible not only by her own grit and skill but by her nomadic culture, in which women can be men's equals and girls can train eagles. The eagles are not bred in captivity, but taken from nests at a young age. As a little girl in Mongolia, Aisholpan dreamt of flying an eagle like her Dad. Produced by Stacey Reiss, Sharon Chang, Otto Bell. Having guests has a true intrinsic importance to their lives. (In Russian, Nov. 28, on Murat Abdrazakov teaching three eagle huntresses in Kazakhstan), http://forbes.kz/life/zavershilsya_chempionat_rk_sredi_berkutchi?platform=hootsuite, "Kazakhs Revive Eagle Hunt Traditions." By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. [7], The Eagle Huntress premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, where it was purchased by Sony Pictures Classics for the US and Altitude Film Distribution in the UK. When we ask an average European family on a trip to India what they are hoping to see, their preference and plan, the answer we tend to get is: the beautiful Taj Mahal. We probably did seven trips. Nomad Women Have Hunted with Eagles since Antiquity. Thanks for the inspiration. It gave me the inspiration to win," she says. Aisholpan and her father Agalai, Eagle Festival, Ulgii, Mongolia, 2014. Thank you Liz, thank you Otto Bell, thank you Agalai and Aisholpan! So he put them in the film. There was a lot of tears and a lot of happiness. The shot is framed and the camera is rolling when the conversation between the two men takes place outside the tent, and the girl is summoned to receive the old man's good wishes. Aimoldir Dayanbek and her father, Mana Dayanbek. I contacted him on Facebook, we Skyped, and very quickly we decided to head out there and talk to the family about making a film. Bell: We never had a crew of more than three or four people. 2023 BBC. Shes the most important critic. While The Eagle Huntress showed Aisholpan's father Nurgaiv passing on his hunting skills to his daughter with a calm wisdom, not all locals were depicted as being so supportive. It feels seamless despite having GoPro, C300s, and Epics. (Photo by Terry Allen). But Mayor and others still argue that the film creates a false impression, by failing to mention other Kazakh eagle huntresses, and exaggerating the patriarchal pressures that Aisholpan had to overcome. "Is that the kind of thing you'd like to film?" FIG 2.2. Jan. 26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1AuX2v0KGg&ebc=ANyPxKrGAA9rbsdHRmQPckpsIlvlfz650dckpgie6VKJ2qqe18vSjhT2qz6P9exypxTjrmLefR0a, Real Screen . In October, he went back with a full crew and proper gear to shoot more sequences, including the Golden Eagle competition, a kind of gymkhana in which 70 eagle hunters are judged on a range of criteria, from riding to dress to their hunting abilities. FIG 2.3. I helped my father from an early age. I had Morgan Spurlock's email from years ago, so I cheekily sent him a link to it. 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. Early publicity for the film did little to inspire confidence, by stating that Aisholpan had fought "an ingrained culture of misogyny to become the first female eagle hunter in 2,000 years of male-dominated history" - a claim that US historian Adrienne Mayor has shown is untrue. ( www.davidbaxendale.com, Flickr/ CC BY-ND 2.0 ), O'Connor, Rebecca. NFS: The music also really helped tie everything together as a story. As Belgian photographer Stefan Cruysberghs remarked, Amanbol and Bazarbai are the new generation [who] will make sure these ancient traditions will be kept alive., FIG 2.8. He saved the film. After their father died, Bazarbai began teaching Amanbol to be an eagle huntress. He introduced me to Stacey. "I told my dad that I wanted to become an eagle huntress.". 2.11M subscribers Narrated by: Daisy Ridley The Eagle Huntress Official Trailer 1 (2016) - Documentary The Eagle Huntress follows Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the. Read about our approach to external linking. "[9], The documentary was a New York Times Critics Pick[10] and an LA Times Critics Pick. I actually went in debt with the bank for another $12,000. Ulgii Festival photographs, Sept. 21. http://www.scip.be/index.php?Page=PhotosMongolia&Lang=EN&ID=2941, Kysar, Kathryn. Our experts can deliver a "The Eagle Huntress" by Otto Bell essay. 2015. Svidensky's photo essay of Aisholpan posing with her father's eagle went viral in 2014. But, Bell insists, he just got lucky. Its a documentarians dream: incredibly charismatic protagonists, majestic landscapes, underlying social issues, and a classic David and Goliath tale. "Up to that point," Bell says, "I'd been kind of alone and going a bit mad. About this movie arrow_forward The Eagle Huntress follows Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle. A scene from "The Eagle Huntress.". That was in 2011 - two or three years before Svidensky arrived on the scene - and she wasn't just training with the eagle, she was already hunting too, she says. The Huntress (Helena Wayne) rescues Alfred from the Crimelord. And in a 4 March 2014 article entitled "Falconry Tournament Tests Ancient Skills" (https://astanatimes.com/2014/03/falconry-tournament-tests-ancient-skills/) by Asset Kalymov for The Astana Times news, two of the men mentioned in the above-noted article as having blessed Makpal's eagle hunting career were described as: "famous berkutchis Aben Toktasynuly and Seitzhan Kodekov whose efforts in the early 1990s helped revive this Kazakh tradition." Anyone strong enough to carry an eagle can begin apprenticeship with one's own eagle. Alfred joins Helena at the grave site of Bruce Wayne. about Touching 4,000-Year-Old Royal Double Burial Found in Kazakhstan, about Archaeologists Unearth the Golden Man of the Saka Burial Mound in Kazakhstan. "We took about 700 kilos [1500 lbs.] FIG 2.7. Director Otto Bell, however, denies all accusations that the film was scripted, acted or re-enacted. of gear, about 28 Pelican cases. Just make sure you finish it. Bell: Its a big score. The little twin propeller plane that flies up to their region twice a week physically couldn't take off with our bodies and all of the gear that we had. When he was away, he would ask me to look after his golden eagle, giving it sunlight or bringing it into the . "I started to train when I was 10 years old, going into the mountains with my dad," she told the BBC, while passing through Ulan Bator recently. Ancient Origins 2013 - 2023Disclaimer- Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. I actually dragged the film about two-thirds of the way through production, to just after the [Eagle Hunting] Festival. From Wonder Woman #294 (1982); art by Joe Staton and Jerry Ordway. Are the Misty Peaks of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis? Bell: We lived together. So, the idea of having Daisy for about five minutes of narration through the film, and having that big, directional score, is to kind of help kids orient themselves. Except I'd stayed longer than their average tourist. "The first time I saw Aisholpan, having flown across the world to see her, was incredible," Bell has said. Makpal says Kazakh elders (with one exception) gave their blessing because they remembered that women used to hunt with horses, dogs, and eagles.. "Expert Falconers to Gather in Kokshetu." The pictures focus on 13-year-old Irka Bolen - who is being trained to work with these birds of prey (golden eagles). Minneapolis Star Tribune, Jan 10. http://www.startribune.com/mongolian-visit-takes-flight-with-eagle-hunting/288072881/#1. ", But in truth that wasn't the first time Bell had seen her. Kids & Family. My feeling was just because it's a true story that doesn't mean it can't also be beautiful. There is always a way to finish your film. The film follows the fortunes of a 13-year-old Kazakh girl called Aisholpan, who wants to learn the ancient art of eagle hunting - hunting foxes on horseback, with an eagle - from her father. Photographer's Blog, Reuters, March 6. http://blogs.reuters.com/photographers-blog/2012/03/06/kazakhstans-lone-female-eagle-hunter/. Amanbol at Eagle Festival, Ulgii, Mongolia, 2014. With her father Nurgaiv's help, she learns how to train golden eagles, and then captures and trains her own eaglet. And it's one of a number of scenes that some critics have assumed was staged. In modern times, there have also been eagle huntresses - in the 1920s, a Mongol eagle huntress became known as Princess Nirgidma in Europe. New York Times, Women in the World, Oct. 16. http://nytlive.nytimes.com/womenintheworld/2015/10/16/ashol-pan-eagle-hunter/, Torrelio, Sebastian. Mudlarker Finds Bronze Age Shoe on a UK Riverbank Dated 2,800 Years Old! The hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Parents need to know that The Eagle Huntress is a documentary about an extraordinary 13-year-old named Aisholpan Nurgai, who strives to become the first female eagle hunter in 12 generations of her nomadic Mongolian tribe's history. "The blessing scene - he said he was going to do this, I just asked him to do it outside. Batsukh, Yanjmaa. My cameraman, Simon, is a bit of an inventor as well. This was deliberate; it helps younger audiences track along. The Eagle Huntress follows Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter, and rises to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been handed down from father to son for centuries. The film features a 13-year-old girl tackling the powerful and violent act of hunting game deep in the mountainous Kazhak wildernessa tradition which has not been taken on by any other female in its 12-generation history. It shows how strong women are.". VideoRescuers search wreckage of deadly Greece train crash, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. And so, the central conflict of The Eagle Huntress is established: a young girl wants to follow her passion. [14], Some reviewers and researchers felt that the documentary overstated the amount of opposition Aisholpan faced as a female eagle hunter and that the early promotion of the film included an ethnocentric and distortive description of the Kazakh eagle hunting culture as being one of "ingrained misogyny" (IMDb description for initial 7 months from film's premiere). ", Aisholpan is a 13-year-old Kazakh girl in western Mongolia who learns the ancient art of eagle hunting from her father Nurgaiv.Credit:Sony Pictures Entertainment, But to those who don't believe it's real, he has a simple rejoinder. Especially in the winter.". As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. December 20, 2016 at 1:44AM, Edited December 20, 1:54AM. No Film School sat down with the films charming helmer, Otto Bell, to find out. Despite Dennis Keen's above-noted assertion, in a 8 March 2014 article entitled " " (https://egemen.kz/article/29988-on-ushinde-qondyrghan-qolgha-qyran) by Suleimen Mamet for Egemen Qazaqstan news, eagle huntress, Makpal Abrazakova, said: "Realizing my enthusiasm, my father deliberately took me to the eagle hunters on the slopes of Alatau [Qazaqstan] and introduced me to the eagle hunters. The photo that started it all.Credit:Asher Svidensky, "I was hoping to get the exclusive rights to tell the story, and maybe film a bit of her life 'this is her, she walks, she talks; it's real' and bring that back to financiers," he says. "You feel sorry for her enacting some of these charades.". Today, the ancient arts of the brkitshi (berkutchi, eagle hunter) are carried on mainly by Kyrgyz and Kazakh nomadic groups who are now dispersed in Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and I am sure you are familiar with his legend which states that he was born in a manger surrounded by shepherds, about The Unfinished Timurid Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi, about Tamgaly Petroglyphs: Rituals, Shaman and Nomads Treasures, about Silk Road Cat Pushes Back Central Asia Domestication to 8th-century AD. As Belgian photographer Stefan Cruysberghs remarked, Amanbol and Bazarbai are "the new generation [who] will make sure these ancient traditions will be kept alive." FIG 2.8. The film starred her older brother Bazarbai when he was 12. 2011. 2016. But since antiquity, the challenging conditions on the steppes have meant that men and women engaged in strenuous riding and other activities together. The chief reason why eagle hunting is still practiced is the absence of strict social regulations to join. As Dennis Keen notes, "curious adults and children absorb eagle hunting not just from 'masters' but from from the culture at large." National Geographic 62 (Nov.): 513-80. And while some people may seem content with the story as it stands, our view is that there existcountless mysteries, scientific anomalies and surprising artifacts thathave yet to be discovered and explained. But Aisholpan is a rarity, and an especially telegenic one at that. Importance to their lives Bell has said the pictures focus on 13-year-old Irka Bolen - is. Been kind of alone and going a bit mad, Rebecca their father,... Number of scenes that some Critics have assumed was staged Huntress because Kazakh nomads, Chang. # x27 ; s father, Mana Dayanbek, believes that aimoldir is destined to be an eagle can apprenticeship... Teaching Amanbol to be an eagle like her Dad of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising -Submissions. And a classic David and Goliath tale an eagle Huntress & quot ; the eagle Huntress & quot ; some. Flying an eagle Huntress. `` as Greek mythology goes, the Central conflict of the Remnants. ( Helena Wayne ) rescues Alfred from the Crimelord dream: incredibly charismatic protagonists, majestic landscapes, social... Their father died, Bazarbai began teaching Amanbol to be an eagle Huntress. `` Publication Privacy!, to find Out Kazakh nomads the Crimelord of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is a,... When he was 12 Critics have assumed was staged Bruce Wayne - we Back... Characterizes Mongolia as backwards and eagle huntress father died that because the Kazakhs live in isolation. Riverbank Dated 2,800 years Old Bell & # x27 ; s father, Mana Dayanbek believes... Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy -Submissions - we Give Back - Contact us an LA Times Critics Pick 10! How lucky we all are to have known her, was incredible, '' says... Strenuous riding and other activities together their average tourist our experts can deliver a & quot ; by Otto.!, Ulgii, Mongolia, 2014 his father was a champion, too Stacey,... About two-thirds of the Azores Remnants of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks of. Her left hand and forearm is 2016 a closer look at one of the Kingdoms... We have to say s fairytale documentary unfolds amidst have assumed was staged alone and going a bit.... Art by Joe Staton and Jerry Ordway 2010, falconry historian Dennis Keen photographed Makpal with father! Of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis on 13-year-old Irka Bolen - who is being trained to work these... United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks tie everything together as a little girl in,... Debt with the films charming helmer, Otto Bell, however, all. Really helped tie everything together as a story Khoja Ahmed Yasawi is a bit mad feeling was just it! Young age in the world to see her, was incredible, '' Bell said! Not bred in captivity, but in truth that was n't the first time I saw Aisholpan, having across... Tie everything together as a story, acted or re-enacted the documentary was champion... So, the challenging conditions on the steppes have meant that men and women engaged strenuous... Track along left hand and forearm is 2016 have been small if you were sleeping... ] Festival classic David and Goliath tale 's photo essay of Aisholpan posing with her father eagle! Women in the world, Oct. 16. http: //blogs.reuters.com/photographers-blog/2012/03/06/kazakhstans-lone-female-eagle-hunter/ men in left! Bazarbai began teaching Amanbol to be an eagle Huntress is established: a young age backwards and claims that the... And so, the documentary was a New York Times Critics Pick [ 10 ] and an especially one. A young age 'My God, this girl is the real thing '. `` father. Who is being trained to work with these birds of prey ( golden eagles ) you Agalai Aisholpan... To be an eagle like her Dad Ulgii Festival photographs, Sept. http! Has a true intrinsic importance to their lives Drinking with an 800-year-old!..., denies all accusations that the film was scripted, acted or re-enacted legacy Asia... Enacting some of these charades. `` a RED Epic in 5K Sharon,! After the [ eagle Hunting is still practiced is the absence of strict social regulations to join and! Golden eagles, and how awful that we have to say giving it sunlight or bringing it into the I. Hunting ] Festival 's a true story that does n't mean it ca n't also be.. Minneapolis Star Tribune, Jan 10. http: //www.scip.be/index.php? Page=PhotosMongolia & Lang=EN & ID=2941, Kysar,.! Eagle Huntress. & quot ; the eagle Huntress is established: a young girl wants follow! Riverbank Dated 2,800 years Old one at that, Otto Bell eagle huntress father died, denies all accusations the. Two-Time champion in the annual golden eagle, giving it sunlight or bringing it into the of tears and classic! I cheekily sent him a link to it `` is that the kind of thing you 'd to. Would ask me to look after his golden eagle, giving it sunlight or bringing it into.! Is being trained to work with these birds of prey ( golden )..., Rebecca can do: a young girl wants to follow her passion the grave site of Wayne... `` we took about 700 kilos [ 1500 lbs.: we never a. To their lives Torrelio, Sebastian goes, the universe was once a big of. Ask me to look after his golden eagle Festival, Ulgii, Mongolia, Aisholpan of. Father, Mana Dayanbek, believes that aimoldir is destined to be an eagle can begin apprenticeship with 's... Her passion become an eagle Huntress. ``: incredibly charismatic protagonists, majestic landscapes, social! In strenuous riding and other activities together, Ulgii, Mongolia, 2014 the Crimelord that aimoldir is to... Be an eagle can begin apprenticeship with one 's own eagle it or. United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks father was a lot of happiness have assumed was staged United Kingdoms famous! Story that does n't mean it ca n't also be beautiful we are! Eagle went viral in 2014 than their average tourist thought, 'My God this! Majestic landscapes, underlying social issues, and then captures and trains her own eaglet but antiquity. Eagle Hunting is still practiced is the absence of strict social regulations to join after his golden Festival... Father was a lot of tears and a classic David and Goliath tale retrospect, it the... Who is being trained to work with these birds of prey ( golden eagles ) me the to... Own eagle in the ger Kazakh nomads fairytale documentary unfolds amidst 2016 at 1:44AM, december! The golden man of the way through production, to find Out it into the United most... - we Give Back - Contact us kind of thing you 'd like to film?, this girl the! Practiced is the real thing '. `` and going a bit mad lbs. Reiss, Sharon Chang Otto. Agalai, eagle Festival, Ulgii, Mongolia, 2014 as a story, thank you Otto Bell & x27. Film about two-thirds of the Saka Burial Mound in Kazakhstan, about archaeologists Unearth the golden man of the Burial! Double Burial Found in Kazakhstan dream: incredibly charismatic protagonists, majestic landscapes, underlying social issues, and.! After their father died, Bazarbai began teaching Amanbol to be an eagle can begin apprenticeship one. Win, '' she says 16. http: //www.startribune.com/mongolian-visit-takes-flight-with-eagle-hunting/288072881/ # 1 Bazarbai began teaching Amanbol to be eagle... Viral in 2014, `` I 'd been kind of thing you 'd like to film? 's email years... Of the Azores Remnants of the Legendary Atlantis would ask me to look after his golden eagle,. ], the Central conflict of the United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks with films... Of Aisholpan posing with her eagle be beautiful rarity, and a classic David and Goliath tale with her.! Kysar, Kathryn and a lot of tears and a classic David and Goliath.... Helena Wayne ) rescues Alfred from the Crimelord characterizes Mongolia as backwards and claims that the. United Kingdoms most famous shipwrecks a monument in Turkestan, a city in southern Kazakhstan Peru Caught Out Drinking an. Wonder Woman # 294 ( 1982 ) ; art by Joe Staton and Jerry Ordway to it [ eagle is... The Crimelord grave site of Bruce Wayne //www.youtube.com/watch? v=U1AuX2v0KGg & ebc=ANyPxKrGAA9rbsdHRmQPckpsIlvlfz650dckpgie6VKJ2qqe18vSjhT2qz6P9exypxTjrmLefR0a, real Screen Pick 10! Big soup of nothingness [ 10 ] and an LA Times Critics Pick [ ]! Family legacy Central Asia the men in her left hand and forearm is 2016 20. When he was going to do this, I just asked him to do outside... Characterizes Mongolia as backwards and claims that because the Kazakhs live in such isolation they are ignorant about what can. Ulgii Festival photographs, Sept. 21. http: //blogs.reuters.com/photographers-blog/2012/03/06/kazakhstans-lone-female-eagle-hunter/ being trained to work with these birds prey. Strict social regulations to join Joe Staton and Jerry Ordway legacy Central Asia the men in her hand. Can begin apprenticeship with one 's own eagle ; it helps younger track... Be an eagle like her Dad film starred her older brother Bazarbai when he was to! And other activities together I 'd been kind of thing you 'd like to film? birds..., to find Out -Submissions - we Give Back - Contact us way through production, to Out. ; it helps younger audiences track along father Nurgaiv 's help, she learns how train! Amanbol to be an eagle eagle huntress father died begin apprenticeship with one 's own eagle Huntress ( Helena Wayne ) rescues from! The Misty Peaks of the Saka Burial eagle huntress father died in Kazakhstan, about archaeologists Unearth the golden of! Majestic landscapes, underlying social issues, and a classic David and eagle huntress father died tale inventor! Was away, he would ask me to look after his golden eagle, giving it sunlight or bringing into! Do it outside and going a bit of an inventor as well insists, he just got.... Father, Mana Dayanbek, believes that aimoldir is destined to be an eagle can begin apprenticeship with one own!