In the mountains of Kirghizstan, Hassan is one of the last eaglers of Central Asia. At 62, he hunts with a four-year-old golden eagle, continuing an art practiced by his ancestors for more than three thousand years.
For Hassan, eagle hunting is built on patience, training and respect for the bird. In the Tian Shan mountains and around Lake Issyk-Koul, he shares this tradition with Aru, a 72-year-old master eagler, and teaches his grandson Azat how to handle and care for a golden eagle.
As spring arrives, Hassan returns to the high mountain ridges with his seven-kilogram eagle, where eaglers hunt foxes and wolves. For Azat, learning these skills is the first step toward one day becoming an eagler himself.
Discover a centuries-old Kirghize tradition and the relationship between an eagler and his golden eagle.
Documentary: Master of the Spirits EP4 Hassan Baioake
Directed by: Vincent Gremillon
Production: ZED and La Cinquième Voyage (2000)
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