Kiran over Mongolia is a feature-length documentary about a Kazakh eagle hunter in Mongolia. neweurasia asked the filmmaker, Joseph Spaid, a few questions about the film, which is hitting the screen in Kazakhstan at this year’s Almaty Film Festival.

Question: Joseph, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. Let’s start with a little bit about yourself.

I am a 41-year-old American male from a not-so-observant Christian family. I grew up in Southern California, studied film at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and have been working in the TV/film industry almost two decades now.

Besides filmmaking, I love to surf (yes, we do that in New York City), am fascinated with art, foreign cultures, hand crafted rugs and tapestries, and travel. At age 33, I took a year-long trip around the world to 20 countries. It was during this trip that I first encountered the Kazakh eagle hunters of Mongolia.

Q: What exactly does Kiran stand for?

“Kiran” is the Kazakh word for golden, and the word used to describe the qualities of an eagle that make it good for hunting, i.e., a bird that is large, fierce, and has deep red eyes is “Kiran”.

Q: For those who can’t wait, can you offer a personal brief synopsis of the film?

It’s a documentary film about hunting with eagles that is told in a very narrative style. We follow Kuma, a largely Mongolized Kazakh youth from the urban capital as he is taken into an apprenticeship by a true Kazakh eagle master who is living off the land in the remote western corner of Mongolia. There, under the tutelage of Kairatkhan, Kuma learns not only the ways of hunting with eagles, but also the ways of his own Kazakh people.

The trailer of the film:

Q: What motivated you to shoot the documentary?

I was moved by the rugged and natural beauty of the eagle hunters and their lifestyle. Berkutchis live completely off the land and are totally self-sufficient. Plus, they are just so damn strong and tough. They typically don’t even wear gloves, although it regularly gets below -25ْ F where they hunt. They are true “badasses” by my definition.

Q: You say on your website that Kazakh culture seems much more preserved in Mongolia than in Kazakhstan itself. Why do you think this is the case?

Because western Mongolia has the least arable land in the country, Mongolians were content to allow Kazakhs who had fled colonial expansion in both China and Kazakhstan to settle the region.

There, they were left to live in enclaves consisting almost exclusively of Kazakhs. This isolation allowed to them to maintain a cultural continuity not found in other Kazakh regions of Central Asia, which have been significantly influenced by Russian and, to some extent, Chinese culture.

Q: How much interaction has there been between the Kazakhs in Mongolia and those in Kazakhstan?

For 75 years, there was not much interaction between the Kazakhs of Mongolia and the Kazakhs of Kazakhstan. However, with the fall of communism, Kazakhstan invited Mongolian Kazaks to move to Kazakhstan, where they would automatically be granted passports. Interestingly enough, while many Kazaks did make the move to Kazakhstan, about 90% of them have returned to Mongolia.

Q: Why do you think so many Mongolian Kazakhs returned to Mongolia? You hinted at cultural alienation the more traditional Kazakhs from Mongolia might have felt in their ancestral homeland. But now, with the economic boom sweeping Kazakhstan, do you think many might try to move for a second time?

I have heard some talk of the possibility of a “second effort”, but I am certainly no expert on the likelihood of that. The Mongolian Kazakhs I have spoken with had returned from Kazakhstan because they wish to continue their lives as pastoral nomads. It was a “quality of life issue”. They just did not want the lifestyle of apartment buildings and pay checks. They wanted to live off the land in the countryside with their livestock.

Q: I remember a friend from Uni who was a Kazakh from Mongolia, and her father was involved in Mongolian politics. Do Mongol Kazakhs feel fairly represented in their country? And what about their relations to the Mongolian population?

Like most countries, Mongolia is not without its issues surrounding race relations. For the most part, Kazakhs and Mongols get along quite well. They are friendly neighbours to each other in the capital and other big cities. But Mongols and Kazakhs have different languages, religions, and cultural tendencies, and therefore will always be separate groups. Kazakhs compose only about 6% of the population of Mongolia, so they are a tiny minority. I know that there is at least one Kazakh member of parliament, but I don’t feel qualified to say whether or not Mongolian Kazakhs feel fairly represented in the Mongolian government. What I can tell you is that I have never personally heard any Kazakh individual complain about representation, and that many Mongolian absolutely adore Kazakh horse sausage. In my experience, the two groups are very tolerant of each other.

Q: Have you already had the chance to show the film to a Kazakh audience and if yes, how was it received?

Yes, many Kazakhs have seen “Kiran over Mongolia”, and have received it very warmly. Here is a quote from a young Kazakh man who saw “Kiran” at a museum screening in New York City:

“Every Kazakh middle-school student has read Abai’s poem about eagle-hunting called Kansonarda burkitshi shyghady angha. Some know the poem by heart and dream of going eagle hunting. But not everyone understands Kazakh and Kazakhs. That’s why “Kiran over Mongolia” is a must-see movie….”

Q: What about the film’s reception in your home country, the US?

Kazakhs who are based in the US have frequently said to me something like, “Thank you for making this film. It really shows the ancient way, which is so rapidly disappearing”. In fact, I am working with a Kazakh cultural group in New York to set up a Kazakh community screening here.

Also, a big surprise has been the enthusiasm from American parents who have adopted Kazakh children. As a group, they are highly motivated to cultivate the Kazakh heritage of their adopted children. I am very inspired by their efforts, and am extremely pleased that “Kiran over Mongolia” is a useful tool for the cultivation of Kazakh culture.

The tradition of hunting with eagles has been going on for at least 4,000 years. There is great wisdom in living a sustainable, off-the-land lifestyle. “Kiran” presents this lifestyle in a way that is easy to digest, and as both a filmmaker and a human being, that gives me great satisfaction.

For more information, visit the film’s website at www.kiranovermongolia.com

All photos (c) Bulk Films / Joseph Spaid