BAC film fest showing will take viewers to Mongolia

The Reno/Tahoe International Film Festival will conclude in style Sunday at the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City.

Showing at 3:30 p.m. is "Kiran over Mongolia," an incredible story about a young man's search to learn the art of eagle mastery. The 86-minute documentary explores the world of the Kazaks of Mongolia through the eyes of Kuma, whose grandfather was once an eagle master there. (Eagle mastery is similar to the sport of falconry as practiced in Europe and the United States today, except bigger birds are involved.)

In extreme western Mongolia, Kuma fulfills his dream of trapping and training his own eagle. Under the tutelage of a local eagle master named Khairatkhan, Kuma learns not only the ways of hunting with eagles but also the ways of his own people.

The crew spent 31Ú2 months on location in Mongolia shooting "Kiran."

Living with their subjects in the simple lifestyle of the nomads of Central Asia, the crew formed a deep bond with the local eagle hunters and their families. Much of the film was shot on horseback in some of the most forbidding, yet austerely beautiful mountains in the world.

Director Joseph Spaid and his wife, Anna Halldorsdottir, are visiting Reno for the premiere. The film was financed by Spaid ("It was either a house or movie," he said.) It has not been picked up yet for national release but is showing at several film festivals around the country.

Making the film had its problems, Spaid said. "If you didn't bring equipment with you to Mongolia, you didn't have it," he said. Halldorsdottir, from Iceland, appears at some of the showings of the film in an authentic Mongol robe beautifully embroidered. She also was the sound designer.

The cinematography in brilliant color is stunning, and for anyone who loves the outdoors and wild life, the movie will be a treat. Admission to the Brewery showings at Performance Hall costs $10.