Bozeman Magazine

Bozeman Film Society presents Otto Bells’ soaring, family-friendly documentary, The Eagle Huntress. This natural world, coming-of-age story follows Aisholpan, a 13-year-old nomadic Mongolian girl, as she trains to be the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become a burketshi, or Kazakh eagle hunter. Set against the breathtaking expanse of the Mongolian steppe, The Eagle Huntress features some of the most awe-inspiring cinematography ever captured in a documentary, giving this intimate tale of a young girl's quest the dramatic force of an epic narrative film. Narrated by Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley, Aisholpan's adventures are a nonstop rush of exhilaration as she experiences all aspects of this 2000 year old tradition — under the tutelage and support of her father and her grandfather — from finding and taming her very own eagle to training for an annual competition, where she will compete against 70 eagle hunters on her quest to gain acceptance. New York Times film critic A. O. Scott calls The Eagle Huntress, “Thrilling! A movie that expands your sense of what is possible;” while Rolling Stone’s David Fear calls it “This season’s most family-friendly female empowerment nature doc.” Rated G (brief animal butchery and fox hunt), the film runs 101 minutes. Loy Maierhauser, Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Montana Raptor Conservation Center (MRCC), will make opening remarks. The MRCC, whose mission is to improve the welfare of raptors across Montana through rehabilitation of injured birds, community education, and partnerships for raptor conservation and research, also organizes the Bridger Raptor Festival each October. All proceeds of the evening’s donation box will benefit MRCC.