Sadly, most people's picture of Kazakhstan is only associated with Borat. While that film was hilarious, it's nothing like the actual country. The new documentary The Eagle Huntress flies into the rural areas of the country, focusing on the hunters and farmers who have followed centuries of tradition.
Bucking that tradition is Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl who trains to become the first eagle hunter in her family. Some of the more conservative members of the community don't care for this, but she has the support of her father and a fierce determination to prove herself.
The documentary – which got rave reviews at Sundance – focuses on her preparation and training to compete in the Golden Eagle Festival, as well as her perilous first hunt. Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) narrates the film, which features an original song by Sia.
The Eagle Huntress opens in New York and Los Angeles on October 28, followed by a nationwide expansion.
About Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about.
I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague.
Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work.
In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo.
I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.
