Sony Pictures Classics’ inspiring new documentary “The Eagle Huntress” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year to great reviews, and now the new trailer adds a familiar voice to the mix.
“The Eagle Huntress” tells the incredible true story of Aisholpan, a 13-year-old Kazakh girl who became the first woman in 12 generations to train to become a traditional eagle hunter. Set against the vast landscape of the Mongolian steppe, the breathtaking cinematography allows Aisholpan’s journey to be reflected on an epic scale. It’s not just beautiful to see, but inspiring as well.
When Women and Hollywood’s Melissa Silverstein saw the film at Sundance, it became her new obsession. “Aside from being one of the most beautifully shot movies I have ever seen,” she wrote, “this movie tells an incredible story of the first-ever girl trained to be an Eagle Hunter. This tradition has been passed down over time by and to men in remote villages in Mongolia, but 13-year-old Aisholpan Nurgalv has the calling. So her dad trains her to hunt. First step: she needs an eagle. Director Otto Bell, who found out about the eagle huntress from a BBC story and showed up on their doorstep to learn more about her, takes us on Aisholpan’s journey in her first time out hunting, as well as being a part of a large fair where all the eagle hunters compete. I dare you not to be inspired.”
You may recognize a familiar voice in the new trailer below: “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” breakout star Daisy Ridley provides the narration. Ridley came aboard as an executive producer just before Sundance. It will be interesting to see what Ridley’s inclusion adds to the doc.
“The Eagle Huntress” opens in New York and Los Angeles on October 28, followed by nationwide expansion.