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Falconry
written and directed by Y.Klimov
cameraman M.Ugarov
adviser V.Flint, Doctor of Biological Science
film editor N.Serebryakova
sound producer N.Shknevskaya
cutter T.Firsova
film crew manager P.Kipovskaya
it all began in a nest
at the present time no one knows when and where
a man for the first time ever learnt to procure food for himself in pair with a falcon
this is ancient history
for example, in Central Asia
people have been hunting with birds of prey over 1,000 years
but unknown, when they began hunting this way
and now as then
it all began in a nest
unfortunately, now in this place there are fewer and fewer nests remain
all that we are seeing in this scene now
you should not take as a ground for your actions
the falcon that had been captured fledged in this place
the falcon will live with people all its life
it is its fate
and people in this place will not regard it as a rare guest that needs a special care
in accordance with the tradition people will not close its eyes by hood
the way how people usually do it everywhere in the world
and local birds do not recognize the falcon to be the most beautiful bird in this place
Anaman is a strict and exacting falconer
if you are hungry then you would better do what he tells you to do
a falcon's training is not launching a kite
this is a hunting bird training
if a bird feels your weak spot now
then it will grow up capricious and careless
you will not be able to break its character
the bird is proud and cunning
it does not forswear be eternal devotion for a man
it is not a dog by no means
from the past centuries people gained certain experience
a man leaves home with his falcon in the night and therefore the falcon cannot fall asleep
In this wise way the falcon gets used to a man's hand
his independence abates and he obeys by man
do not sleep, falcon!
do not sleep!
this is not a simple task to be a falconer
Anaman has absorbed an experience of his forefathers
his father and grandfather were owners of falcons too
however only experience is not enough
the falcon reveals oneself in skillful hands only
do not sleep, falcon!
do not sleep!
at that time people were aware of the cost of such birds
they were paying by camels and light-footed horses in order to become owners of the birds
do not sleep, falcon!
do not sleep!
there will be morning soon
people who have any idea of falconry know
that there are different kinds of falcons
a peregrin falcon
a gerfalcon
a saker falcon
for example, the peregrine falcon makes an attack of the game-bird and on the wing only
the saker falcon is a universal hunter
on ground and in the air
it might be a prey able
is a tolai hare maybe?
yes, it is
hunting will take place!
a Central Asia greyhound and a falcon
people of desert have been always hunting this way
always
It's not a problem for a falcon to run down a hare
but to catch a hare is another matter
the cunning hare can hide in a thorny bush
but however the falcon will be able to see it
the bird will swoop down
stumble upon branches
get injured and can die
a smart dog is pursuing a hare
the hare cannot escape
this scene is not for all
nerves can hardly bear this scene
you should be born as a falconer
the falcon must get a piece of prey from you
you should encourage it
it is the good falcon
you should put your soul and heart into the falcon
a training of a falcon can take years and years
and there is no place for hurry in this matter
but unfortunately a family tradition dies out
old Anaman has sons
but they are not falconers
it is another life now for people and the falcons
Eva lives in this block of flats in Moscow
Eva is a saker falcon
perhaps, life in a town is the worst thing for a falcon
a well fed and well groomed falcon wants to fly a lot and be active
but there is nowhere to fly in a town
the falcon's owner and his fellows are busy with needlework
the attributes is a big deal
hoods, bewits with bells, gloves, decoys
a good falconer cannot hunt without these things
he must follow old traditions and canons
these traditions and canons practically have not been changed for many ages
let us imagine falconers of old times
and together with Eva look at them
nothing has changed
the only thing that differs - they wore clothes with gold falcons on the chest
that time was quiet different
a good falconer was a favorite of a Tsar
and a bird of prey was worth weight in gold
modern falconers might be nostalgic for the past ages
there was real falconry in these places before
but now the only thing you can do here is to chase crows
there are a lot of crows in modern towns
but it's dangerous to release falcons in towns
there are many power lines there and a falcon can be hurt
here goshawks can be more useful
as they are quicker than falcons
falconry is a collective notion
it is not a rare thing to see that on a falconer's hand there is not a falcon but a goshawk
hunting with a goshawk is not less fascinating than a hunting with a falcon
of course, a goshawk doesn't catch a fox
this is a procurement of a goshawk
a fox is interested in its procurement
a goshawk has a chance to fall a prey to the fox
fortune favours the brave one
to catch a seated wild duck is a warm-up for a goshawk
a goshawk is a chaser by nature
however to catch a sheld duck is not enough
a goshawk must make a mash of it
if we want to speak seriously about goshawks
we should take a long journey to the Black sea, to Georgia
here we can see such a picture in autumn
this is a bird-catcher
a shrike is a tempting bait
birds of prey can see such a bait from a long distance
there are bird-catchers trying to catch a sparrow-hawk there
the local falconers like a sparrow-hawk very much
have a look at Abkhazia and Adzharia
you will find a lot of houses here where falconers live
they tame sparrow-hawks
it is more easier to tame a sparrow-hawk than a falcon
in comparison with other hunting birds it is a nice fellow
the blessed hand of a feeder
in a week it will fly on the man's call
in two weeks it will go hunting
it does not really matter what kind of a game-bird it takes
a falconer is happy that he has nourished and cultivated a bird of prey
and also educated and taught it
some hunting days a year are a reward for a bird of prey and a falconer
it is always been the case
we should pay tribute to the people and their care for traditions
who can boast that he had seen anything like this?
no one
because this is for the first time with us
from all over the country falconers flocked to Batumi
these people are different, but they have one thing in common
today they have a holiday
people who have not seen hunting birds earlier got a chance to see them
this small falcon is called a pigeon-hawk
and this is a goshawk
it is our friend Eva (a saker falcon)
the falcon's eye is dark and deep
the goshawk's eye is similar to goldfinch with a hole
a fight will be hot
at first a bird will be tested for distance and speed of its fly
the owner raised his hand
and the sparrow-hawk knows what to do
now it must catch a quail
the arbitrators are strict
if a bird didn't catch a game bird - there will be no points
who bets for a quail has all reasons to feel happy
there are quite a few there
let's wish good luck to them
the first exercise brings the highest score
and now a game bird
a goshawk strives for itself only
now it's Eva's turn
Eva is being accompanied by Ernst Ludger himself
our guest from West Germany knows birds of prey very well and he is a real master of falconry
perhaps, he is the only one to know Eva's true value
the falconry experiences a renaissance
there a lot of falconry lovers in the world today
and how many falconry lovers do we have?
only those you have just seen in the film
it all began in a nest...
The End