The Eagle Huntress

The documentary film “The Eagle Huntress” is one of the most inspirational films I have seen.  I highly recommend this film.  It was released in 2016 and is considered a Kazakh-language British-Mongolian-American documentary film.  The film was directed by Otto Bell and Daisy Ridley was the executive producer and narrator of the film.

The documentary follows the story of Aisholpan, a 13-year-old Kazakh girl from Mongolia.  She is attempting to become the first female eagle hunter to compete in the eagle festival in Ulgii, Mongolia.  Aisholpan’s family are nomads that spend their summers in a yurt in the Altai Mountains and winter in a house in town.  Growing up watching her grandfather and father compete, she wants to become an eagle hunter.

This documentary is beautifully filmed and the scenery is breathtaking.  The film also provided the ability to see into Aisholpan’s world and the challenges and rewards of training to be an Eagle Hunter.  It was exciting learning about and watching this amazing young woman grow.

I watched this documentary with several family members.  My seven-year old niece and my mom were really getting into the film.  We were excited to see Aisholpan training, competing and becoming “The Eagle Huntress.”

 

 

 

GOLD

I know that I usually only write reviews about documentary films.  However, I was so surprised by this film that I felt compelled to write a review.  The previews for this movie looked interesting.  But so do previews for a lot of really awful movies.  I hadn’t read any reviews and I decided to watch the movie and decide for myself.  I am so glad that I did.

The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Edgar Ramirez, and Bryce Dallas Howard.  There are many other great actors and a lot of talent throughout the film.  Directed by Stephen Gaghan, the film is described as an American Crime Adventure.  It was released in December 2016 and is based on a true story.

This is not a typical Matthew McConaughey film.  He is gritty, real and as un-Hollywood as a Hollywood actor can get.  His character is flawed, crass, despicable at times and you still root for him.  Edgar Ramirez is brilliant as the geologist.  They are perfect foils for each other.  As flawed as McConaughey’s character was, Ramirez’s was pulled together and precise.  Both performances were beautiful to watch.  And that is all I want to tell you about this film.  There is a mystery to this film and a beauty in the filming and unfolding of the story that can be ruined by telling to much of it.

This movie is worth watching.  When it finished, I felt like the time had flown by.  And the mystery….. I am still thinking about it.