Directed by Otto Bell and Narrated by Daisy Ridley of Star Wars fame, The Eagle Huntress is a heart-warming documentary about a teenage girl in Mongolia who trains to become the first female eagle hunter.
Hunting with Eagles is the tradition of her nomadic Kazakh tribe – but one that is a male pursuit, handed down from father to son for millennia.
The documentary tracks her progress as she climbs down the side of a mountain to capture her own eaglet, she trains it, participates in the annual eagle hunting festival and then embarks on a mission into the cold mountains to hunt with her father.
The film is beautifully shot. The backdrop of the Mongolian steppe is truly stunning and adds to the mystique of the world that is so far removed from life in Australia. Watching the eagle in full flight in slow motion is also a spectacle and delight.
The underlying theme of the documentary is girl power. generations of eagle hunters and she’s the only girl. She is strong and brave – we see her climb down the side of a mountain to fetch her baby golden eagle. We see her work with these incredible birds. We see her ignore the gaze of disapproving men at the annual festival of eagle hunters.
While there have been some criticism that the documentary narrative is just too perfectly wrapped and tied with a bow – young girl fights against discrimination and rises victorious, against all odds – it is nevertheless a stunning, uplifting tale that focuses on a spirited young girl who has a dream – and realises it with the support and love of her family.
4/5