The Eagle Huntress

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The Eagle Huntress

G

2016

1h 27m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

125 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, trains to become the first female in 12 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. While there are many old Kazakh eagle hunters who vehemently reject the idea of any female taking part in their ancient tradition, Aisholpan's father, Nurgaiv, believes that a girl can do anything a boy can, as long as she's determined.

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Critics Consensus

Effectively stirring and bolstered by thrilling visuals, The Eagle Huntress uses its heartwarming message to fill up a feature that might have made for an even more powerful short film.

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Stephen Romei

The Australian

Mar 17, 2017

4/5

Perhaps the director has fudged it a bit, but his intention was to make a beautiful film about one girl from a place and a culture we know little about. That he has done.

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

Mar 15, 2017

2.5/5

Can we call this documentary, or is it some kind of hybrid, when so much of it is constructed for the camera?

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Kate Erbland

IndieWire

Jan 2, 2017

B+

A soaring, sweet documentary that welcomes its audience into an unexpected new arena.

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David Bax

Battleship Pretension

Jan 4, 2021

The Eagle Huntress provides meaning. Sadly, it does so via mostly forgettable platitudes.

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Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

Aug 13, 2020

The Eagle Huntress is a lively and unusual encounter with a remote population and their customs...

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David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

Jun 9, 2020

A hypnotically lensed coming-of-age tale.

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Matthew R

@RT52830269 Jan 4, 2026

As beautiful as it was all i want to say is, poor fox.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 May 30, 2025

A successful documentary movie in just 1 hour and 27 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Georgan G

@RT98616417 Sep 8, 2024

While this really isn't a documentary per se, it is shot so beautifully, with such amazing scenry, plus an inside look at a fascinating culture. And, the relationships are touching.

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Maxim K

@Max375 Apr 16, 2023

Perfect score, perfect scenery and animals

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Gina W

@RT47387387 May 17, 2020

Good movie for everyone.

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Apr 9, 2019

The scenery in this isn't the only thing of beauty, the relationship between Aishlopan, the eagle huntress and her father is so endearing, and Aishlopan is adorable. I was just willing her to succeed all the way through, so thrilled that the Eagle festival panel judged her fairly. It would be great to have a catch up with her in a few years to see what she is doing. I just loved that Universal 'look' that Aishlopans Mother gives her Father when she starts talking about going to the Eagle Festival :)

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Otto Bell

Director

Daisy Ridley

Narrator

Aisholpan Nurgaiv

Actor

Rys Nurgaiv

Actor

Stacey Reiss

Producer

Sharon Chang

Producer

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Synopsis

Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, trains to become the first female in 12 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. While there are many old Kazakh eagle hunters who vehemently reject the idea of any female taking part in their ancient tradition, Aisholpan's father, Nurgaiv, believes that a girl can do anything a boy can, as long as she's determined.

Director: Otto Bell
Producer: Stacey Reiss, Sharon Chang, Otto Bell
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Stacey Reiss, Sony Pictures Classics, 19340 Productions, Kissaki Films
Rating: G
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 2, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 7, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.2M
Runtime: 1h 27m

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