Member review

Director: Otto Bell

Date: 2016

Do you know what its like to train an animal? Well maybe you do, like training a dog to do tricks, but what about a fierce predator, the Golden Eagle?

This movie is about a 13 year old girl called Aisholpan, who lives in Mongolia in the Altai Mountains and she wants to become an eagle huntress.

But wait, I should probably say that an 'eagle hunter' is not someone that hunts eagles but uses eagles to hunt!

This film is in-between a documentary and a story. Aisholpan is a real life role model that wants to become a professional eagle huntress and compete in the Golden Eagle Hunting Competition, which usually men compete in. There has never been a woman compete and the other competitors think that girls are weaker. Aisholpan is determined to win although you can't tell if she will since this isn't your standard Disney movie, which is usually predictable!

Aisholpan's dad is a professional and he teaches her about eagle hunting and she even has to go out to the mountains to catch an eagle to hunt with.

I absolutely loved the part where she arrives at the competition and no-one knows she's coming or expects her there. You really want her to show them what's what! But will she?

This film made me feel that anyone can do anything, even if some people don't agree!

I wondered about animal cruelty, so I read up on it. I specifically don't think it's cruel to use an eagle for hunting, because after about 7 years they let their eagles free. Also their owners care for them and give them food and warmth, so in a way they must enjoy it. I think of it as having a job: You (or in this case, the eagle) have to work and work, but you get paid, which is like the food and warmth, and then you retire, which is like being set free.

I would recommend this to people from 8+, since there is some gore where the the eagle eats and hunts.

To be honest, I'd think I would give this movie 4 and a half stars, but I did really like it and Into Film won't let me do half stars, so I'm going to give this 5 out of 5 stars.

Thanks for reading!