Otto Bell
Directing
Biography
Otto Bell is a documentary film director and producer. His feature debut, The Eagle Huntress, premiered at Sundance and sold to Sony Pictures Classics. The project grossed more than $4.4 million at the worldwide box office and was nominated for BAFTA, PGA, and DGA awards, and was on the Oscar shortlist. Another project, The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima, premiered at Telluride and sold to Vice, and was nominated for a news and documentary Emmy. Another feature, The Badass Librarians of Timbuktu, is in post-production.
Known For
Follow Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter, and rise to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been typically been handed down from father to son for centuries.
The Eagle Huntress
The Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 triggered a tsunami, nuclear meltdown and mass evacuations in Fukushima Prefecture. Today, as part of a Government push to encourage resettlement, local hunters have been enlisted to dispose of radiated Wild Boars that now roam the abandoned streets and buildings. This short film follows a lone hunter into an isolated and changed landscape. Along the way, other citizens who still live near the reactor share their perspectives on the aftermath. "The Toxic Pigs of Fukushima" was inspired by the photographs of co-producers Toru Hanai and Yuki Iwanami. The original score was written and performed by renowned ambient artist Midori Takada.