CACI Movie Night: ‘The Eagle Huntress’

Join the fun! The Central Asian and the Caucasus Initiative is hosting a movie night!

Movie Title: “The Eagle Huntress”

Winner of Audience Award: Middleburg Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, Denver Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival.

Winner of Best Documentary Feature: Hamptons International Film Festival.

The “Eagle Huntress” follows Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve 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 is determined.

About eagle hunting tradition: The word in Kazakh language for eagle is burkit, so an eagle hunter is known as burkitshi, and the plural form for eagle hunters is burkitshiler. The burkitshiler hunt with golden eagles, one of the fast moving animals on earth, capable of reaching speeds of up to 190 miles per hour. For an activity that has been pursued for centuries by men, the eagle hunters solely use female, because they are larger and fiercer. They weigh up to 15 pounds and average about 3 feet tall, with very broad wings that can span over 6 feet.

Organizers:

–          Central Asian and the Caucasus Initiative (CACI)

–          Central Asia and the Caucasus Student Union (CACSU)

Snacks and drinks will be served.