Recently there has been a lot of negativity on television and on the big screen. It seems like I’m always worrying about what my kids are seeing and hearing from the media. Every time we turn on the tv together, I spend time searching… only to shut it off and look for something more uplifting. When I heard about The Eagle Huntress, an inspiring new film from Sony Pictures, I couldn’t wait to share it with my kids.
The Eagle Huntress is the story of Aisholopan, a thirteen-year-old girl training to become the first female in 12 generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter. With my girls being close to her age, I was excited to have them watch a film that promotes female empowerment, gender equality, and the importance of following one’s dreams – even if the odds seemed stacked against you.
The Eagle Huntress takes you to the breathtaking expanse of the Mongolian steppe and shows all of the trials and triumphs of becoming an Eagle Huntress – from the capture of a fledgling eagle to training to taking part in the renowned Golden Eagle Festival where she must face off against 70 of the greatest Kazakh hunters in Mongolia.
The scenery and musical score is absolutely breathtaking, and it had me and all three of my children captivated from the first scene. The feature song “Angel by the Wings” by Sia has already been downloaded on all of our devices!
It is executive produced and narrated by Star Wars’s Daisy Ridley who played Rey – which my oldest daughter recognized right away! We both thought she was the perfect voice for the film since she showed so much of the same qualities in her role as Aisholopan does in The Eagle Huntress.
I do not want to give the whole movie away, but one of the most powerful parts of the film showed how, even after all of that work and training and love that both the girl and the eagle show one another, the eagle is released back into the wild so the cycle of life can continue. I would be lying if I said that I didn’t get a little misty eyed a few times.
As an animal lover and a mother, I couldn’t be happier with The Eagle Huntress. The beautiful story it illustrated was perfect for my girls who are both at that critical age where they are building their own identities and really trying to figure out who they are, who they want to be, and where they belong. Watching the film together and discussing their favorite parts was the most perfect way to spend the afternoon. I think all girls – and boys! – should watch this film. It has become a favorite of ours for sure!
Get your own The Eagle Huntress on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital
