An enchanting and empowering non-fiction film shot and edited with the virtuosity of a big studio feature, Otto Bell's debut is the story of 13-year-old Aisholpan, destined to become the first girl in twelve generations of her nomadic Kazakh family to hunt with golden eagles. The elders in the clan take a dim view of the idea, but as her father recognizes, Aisholpan is a natural, and as he trains her to - in turn - train an eaglet in the arts of fox hunting, it becomes exhilaratingly evident there will be no stopping her.

Aside from the cherubic, uncomplaining and always intrepid Aisholpan herself, the movie features rhapsodic images of the stunning Altai mountain range in Mongolia, as well as equally beautiful shots of the Kazakh's traditional outfits and (solar-panelled!) yurts. But sweeping, swooping drone footage of the young woman and her bird, Akkatnat (White Wings) is where The Eagle Huntress truly soars - it's a film to raise spirits and expectations alike.

"A beautiful, thrilling journey to a part of the world that is still largely inaccessible." Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post

Otto Bell – Director