POST
PRODUCTION
SCRIPT
FOREIGN
CORRESPONDENT
2017
The
Last Eagle Hunters
28
mins 45 secs
©2017
ABC
Ultimo Centre
700
Harris Street Ultimo
NSW
2007 Australia
GPO
Box 9994
Sydney
NSW
2001 Australia
Phone: 61 2 8333 4383
Fax: 61 2 8333 4859
e-mail thompson.haydn@abc.net.au
Precis |
Foreign Correspondent takes a spectacular journey into the wilds of Mongolia in search of an
ancient, imperilled tradition – the Kazakh golden eagle hunters. |
|
|
When a 13-year-old girl called Aisholpan shot to
fame in the documentary The Eagle Huntress, her raw Mongolian homeland
entranced audiences as well. |
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Its desolate, otherworldly steppes, valleys and
snowy peaks provide the dramatic backdrop for Kazakh tribespeople who cling
proudly to their practice of hunting with tamed golden eagles. |
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As correspondent Matthew Carney soon discovers,
it’s a universe away from Hollywood. |
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In a quest to meet the surviving eagle hunters,
Carney and cameraman Steve Wang take an old Russian jeep forging through
mostly roadless terrain in one of the most inhospitable parts of the planet,
where the mercury can plunge as low as minus 40. |
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|
Winter is the time to hunt – and the Foreign Correspondent team encounters
veteran hunter Beken, his son and their golden eagles. After hours of
searching, they spot a fox. Then, as the camera rolls, they unleash their
powerful birds. |
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When I see the eagle fly, I feel free. When she
catches a fox I feel great… it’s like magic! – Beken’s son Bakhbergen |
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The men are custodians of a thousand-year Kazakh
tradition that’s threatened on several fronts – climate change, the
introduction of guns for hunting and the allure of distant cities. |
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If my son says ‘I’m going to school far away and
I’m not going to become an eagle hunter,’ I cannot tell him otherwise – Beken |
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Oddly enough, what might help sustain the old
tradition is a breath of modern feminism. The Eagle Huntress makes
some men bristle - but the exploits of its heroine Aisholpan are inspiring
young girls. |
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Of course girls can do anything boys can do. We
are resilient – Akbota, a
14-year-old who trains to be an eagle hunter |
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Orken, Akbota’s eagle hunter dad, is backing her
all the way. |
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My daughter is very brave. I want to encourage
girls like Akbota and Aisholpan –
Orken |
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Older hunters worry that the practice is dying.
But as Matthew Carney reports, there is a youthful optimism among the kids
who are learning it. |
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This is a Kazakh national treasure and I want to
do my part to keep it alive - Akbota |
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Mountain scenery
GVs |
Music |
00:00 |
SUPER: ALTAI MOUNTAINS, NORTH WESTERN MONGOLIA |
|
00:04 |
Eagle flying overhead |
|
00:11 |
Altai mountain scenery/Travelling in jeep |
MATT CARNEY: We’ve come to
one of the most world’s least hospitable places, in the depths of winter. |
00:16 |
Carney in jeep. SUPER: |
This is the time to find the
practitioners of an ancient, disappearing tradition – the last eagle hunters
of Mongolia. |
00:23 |
TITLE OVER: |
Music |
00:35 |
Carney in jeep |
MATT CARNEY: “To get to the
authentic eagle hunters we have to endure some extreme conditions - minus 40
degrees - and we also have to venture to some of the most isolated places on
this planet and we hope this trusty Russian jeep will do the job”. |
00:41 |
Jeep travelling across valley floor |
There are no roads so we
stick to the valley floors. It feels like we’ve landed on another planet.
There’s little water and no vegetation. We hear of one eagle hunter who’s
training his son to keep the tradition alive. But there are no phones or
internet, we just have to go there and hope he’ll talk to us. |
01:01 |
Jeep arriving at house |
Music |
01:32 |
Carney gets out of jeep and greets Beken |
MATT CARNEY: “We’re here at
last! So this is Beken the eagle hunter right?” Beken! Nice to meet you. And
your name? Bakhbergen! His younger son? So he’s the one who’s learning to be
an eagle hunter”. Beken lives with three
generations of his family including the newest grandchild. |
01:43 |
Baby in crib |
Music |
02:12 |
Meal being prepared |
MATT CARNEY: In the evening they give us the traditional
welcome, the Besbarmak. |
02:16 |
|
Music |
02:21 |
Woman serves meal |
MATT CARNEY: “Wow so here it is!” |
02:35 |
Beken gives traditional welcome |
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “Dear
friends, we have guests from overseas, so our table is bigger. Here’s our
food. The main course is the head of a sheep. Every culture respects the
head. I wish you good health, good luck with your work and may your journey
through life be sweet. May Allah bless us with everlasting happiness and
continuing celebrations”. |
02:38 |
Family and guests share meal |
MATT CARNEY: Nothing is
wasted. Spine, stomach, intestines, organs – it’s all here. Everyone shares
and eats with their hands to build stronger bonds. |
03:16 |
|
“That’s horse meat?” WOMAN: “Yes”. MATT CARNEY: “And what’s
this over here?” WOMAN: “This is horse fat”. MATT CARNEY: “That’s horse
fat. |
03:28 |
|
Is that good for you? Do
people like the taste, or why do they eat it?” WOMAN: “We like the taste
and people think it’s also good for the health”. MATT CARNEY: “Okay. I’ll
give it a go. That’s tough. [chewing] I’m not sure about that but the baby
loves it. Basically it’s meat, right? It’s the way to sustain everyone”. |
03:33 |
|
WOMAN: “Yeah we eat meat a
lot because climate here in Mongolia is really hard, cold, dry”. |
03:58 |
|
MATT CARNEY: And for the
next ten days, meat is pretty much all we eat. |
04:05 |
View through window into house/Sun rising |
Music |
04:10 |
Beken feeds eagles |
MATT CARNEY: Beken Ermyekbai can identify 10 generations
of eagle hunters in his family. The golden eagle is at the core of a culture
that’s survived more than a thousand years. It’s taken as an eaglet from the
nest and raised as their own. A unique bond builds between bird and hunter. |
04:19 |
Beken exits enclosure with eagle |
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “You need
to keep the eagle in a warm place, and feed her at regular times. You must
care for her like a child, as you would your own baby”. |
04:43 |
Beken holds eagle and removes its hood |
MATT CARNEY: Eagle eyes are
ten times sharper than the human eye. The leather hoods are used to keep them
calm. It ensures that they are alert when they’re released for the hunt. |
04:53 |
Beken with eagle |
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “My main
form of communication is to stroke her. When you do this you mustn’t scare
her. She understands when you are scolding or cursing her. Although she
doesn’t know any words, she knows when you are being gentle”. |
05:04 |
|
MATT CARNEY: Beken has
sourced about 40 birds for his fellow eagle hunters over the years, but he
says this eagle is one of the best hunters he’s had. He’s built total trust
with her. |
05:21 |
|
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “Let me
show you her character. Here’s my bare forearm. This golden eagle is
different from the others because she doesn’t tear my bare skin. You see? If
this was another eagle, it would pull the skin off my hand. The exceptional
quality of this bird is that she is gentle with your skin. I’ve handled a lot
of birds – 30 or 40 – and they never allowed me to put them on my bare skin. |
05:35 |
|
She’ll be with me for almost
four years. After that, I’ll release her. She needs to continue her life,
have chicks and fly free in the sky, to enjoy her freedom and see new places.
|
06:04 |
|
Yes, I’ll be upset then. Of
course I’ll be upset to say goodbye. She’s become like a baby to me”. |
06:09 |
Photo. Mongolian couple |
MATT CARNEY: Eagle hunting
was once mostly about getting food and furs for clothing. These days, it’s
more about maintaining culture. |
06:29 |
Beken climbing mountain with eagle |
There are probably only
about 60 eagle hunters left. Some do it just for the tourists. The fear is
that the real hunters could die out within a generation. |
06:37 |
Bakhbergen swinging pelt and calling bird |
Beken prays they can
survive. Whether they do, might depend on his youngest son, Bakhbergen. |
06:54 |
Beken with eagle at top of mountain. Eagle is released and flies |
Music |
07:06 |
Eagle lands on pelt |
MATT CARNEY: It takes five years of training to earn the
title eagle hunter. Seventeen year old Bakhbergen is in the final stages. |
07:28 |
Beken and Bakhbergen with eagle |
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “Look at me
– take a deep breath… put your forearm under her wing… hold the strap… while
you’re holding her, let her peck the glove a few times and then put the hood
over her eyes”. |
07:38 |
Eagle flies from Beken to land at Bakhbergen’s arm |
MATT CARNEY: Now Bakhbergen
has to land the eagle on his arm. A rabbit pelt is used to lure the bird. |
07:59 |
Bakhbergen with eagle |
BAKHBERGEN: “When I see the
eagle fly I feel free. When it catches a fox, I feel great. It’s like magic!” |
08:15 |
Beken explains training |
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “When you
call your eagle, stand against the wind. Stretch your arm out. Don’t look at
the bird, understand? If you do, when she’s trying to land she could scratch
you”. |
08:25 |
Beken herding yaks |
Music |
08:44 |
|
MATT CARNEY: The eagle
hunters are Kazakhs, their culture’s survived in this remote corner of
Mongolia. In neighbouring Kazakhstan, their traditions were lost when Soviet
rule forced them into collective farms. Here, they’re still nomads and in
spring they’ll take their animals and move to new pastures a hundred
kilometres away. |
08:48 |
|
Music |
09:13 |
Beken collects snow for water |
MATT CARNEY: It’s a hard
life and daily chores like sourcing water from snow, are a constant struggle. |
09:21 |
|
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “We are
born and grow up here. We know all the valleys and the sky. We have this
land. |
09:36 |
Beken releases yak/Daughter milks yak/Baby drinks milk |
We have our freedom. We live
simply, but our life is not that bad”. |
09:49 |
Beken plays string instrument in yurt and Bakhbergen sings |
[singing] |
10:12 |
|
MATT CARNEY: Beken
understands life is changing and knows he may lose his son to city life. |
10:26 |
Beken interview |
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “You need
knowledge. With the world as it is now, if he says he’s going to school far
away and he’s not going to become an eagle hunter, I cannot tell him
otherwise. |
10:33 |
|
It’s hard for me to tell him
not to go to school and become a hunter like me and his ancestors. I don’t
have the heart to tell him that. That’s why my only wish is for him to teach
one of his kids this tradition which has continued for generations”. |
10:52 |
Bakhbergen singing |
[singing] |
11:14 |
Carney to camera outside |
MATT CARNEY: “The reality is
much of the younger generation are not going to take up eagle hunting and
frankly I can understand why. It’s impossible to describe how cold it is out
here. You have to wear four or five layers of clothing but your hands and
your feet and your nose still freeze to death and it’s almost impossible to
have a wash. So frankly, the comforts of the city are very appealing”. |
11:22 |
Beken and Bakhbergen climb to eagle’s nest |
Before Bakhbergen decides on
a future, his father wants to make sure he’ll succeed in the last but most
important step in becoming an eagle hunter – getting his own bird. |
11:48 |
|
Music |
12:03 |
|
MATT CARNEY: The golden
eagles nest high up in the rugged peaks. |
12:08 |
|
Music |
12:11 |
|
MATT CARNEY: Bakhbergen will
steal an eaglet from a nest. They’re much easier to train and domesticate. |
12:20 |
|
Music |
12:26 |
Beken ropes up Bakhbergen |
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “It’s very
dangerous. To do this, the first thing you need is a brave heart – only
bravery can get you back down. The rope can snap at any time. That’s why I
help my son to get down. |
12:29 |
Bakhbergen climbs to nest |
We look for female eagles
because the males don’t hunt. The male only delivers light food, such as
marmots and mice, to small chicks in the nest. Foxes have more strength and
the male eagle doesn’t have enough power to hunt them. That’s why we use a
strong female eagle for hunting”. |
12:45 |
|
MATT CARNEY: But this is
just a training run for spring when the eagles will nest. For now, there are
just some animal bones in the old nest, remnants of feeding time. |
13:20 |
|
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “I used to
go down on my own, but now I’m getting older and weaker. That’s why I’m
training him now”. |
13:31 |
Bakhbergen returns to Beken |
Music |
13:41 |
Aerials. Hunters on horses |
MATT CARNEY: This is what
it’s all about. The hunt is the culmination of all the hunter’s skills and
knowledge. They can stay out for weeks and generally work in teams. |
13:51 |
Eagle travels with hunting team |
The eagles are kept hooded
and perched on a wooden crutch as they have to be carried for days. |
14:07 |
|
Music |
14:13 |
|
MATT CARNEY: We’ve come in winter, the peak time for
hunting, when fox and rabbit furs are thick and food is scarce. |
14:18 |
|
Music |
14:25 |
Beken carries eagle |
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “I can’t
describe how much fun it is to go out hunting. All the unpleasant things
disappear. It radiates energy to me and I leave all my worries, all my pain
behind. Everything – my family, my herd, my animals… I live in that moment.
Am I going to see a fox? Will my eagle wrestle it down? Aside from that, I
don’t think about anything. I feel free”. |
14:29 |
Hunters reach top of hill |
MATT CARNEY: They get to the
top of the hill and the wind is howling. They watch and wait, scanning the
mountains and the valleys around them for hours”. |
15:08 |
Beken with eagle |
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “When the
prey emerges, we let the eagles go. We take their hoods off and free them”. |
15:27 |
|
MATT CARNEY: We know it will
be hard to watch, but this is what eagles are born to do. |
15:34 |
Beken removes eagle’s hood/ |
Suddenly a fox is spotted. |
15:42 |
Fox runs/Beken releases eagles |
Music |
15:43 |
Eagle catches fox |
MATT CARNEY: For a moment it
looks like it’s going to get away, but the fox is wounded and the third eagle
gets her prey. |
16:12 |
|
Music |
16:20 |
Beken feeds fox legs to eagle and rides away with fox and carrying eagle |
MATT CARNEY: The dead fox’s legs are fed to the eagles
as a reward. Later, they will be given the heart and lungs as well. The owner
of the eagle that brought down the prey, will get the pelt. It will be
proudly worn as a symbol of success. |
16:35 |
Mountain scenery time lapse |
Music |
17:01 |
|
MATT CARNEY: In a valley
nearby, one of the oldest and most respected hunters is contemplating the
future. |
17:05 |
Khabyl Khakh sitting with eagle |
75 year old Khabyl Khakh
hunted every winter for 50 years. |
17:13 |
Archival. Khabyl Khakh and hunters with eagles hunting wold |
His team was legendary. They
would spend entire winters on the hunt. In this rare archive they’re tracking
a wolf which had been killing livestock. It took a week to bring it down. |
17:18 |
|
Music |
17:35 |
Khabyl Khakh strokes eagle |
MATT CARNEY: Khabyl Khakh says today’s young men lack
the passion of their fathers. |
17:51 |
Khabyl Khakh interview |
KHABYL KHAKH: “The reason
they’re not interested is laziness. Otherwise, why wouldn’t they be
interested?” |
17:58 |
Khabyl Khakh watching film of Aisholpan on computer |
MATT CARNEY: But some young
people are interested and they’re challenging thousand year old traditions.
Women are joining the hunt. A young girl called Aisholpan is winning fame as
the star of a hit documentary, “The Eagle Huntress”. The film has had an
international release, but it’s the first time Khabyl Khakh has seen it. He
says it’s not acceptable. |
18:04 |
Khabyl Khakh |
KHABYL KHAKH: “In the
history of Kazakhs there have never been any eagle huntresses. In the past,
women didn’t go up the mountain. They got married and moved away. Being an
eagle huntress is a temporary thing”. |
18:40 |
Tolbo GVs |
MATT CARNEY: But across
these mountains, Aisholpan has inspired others. The town of Tolbo is like
others in the region. It’s conservative and Muslim. Women are usually married
by the time they’re 18 or 19, raise the kids and look after the home. But
it’s here we found 14 year old |
18:54 |
Akbota cooking |
Akbota. She’s the most
unlikely candidate to be an eagle hunter. She is small and shy, but she is
determined to succeed. |
19:23 |
|
AKBOTA: “Of course girls can
do anything that boys can do. We are resilient… |
19:33 |
Akbota interview |
and… how do you say…? If you
never give up – boys or girls – you can do anything”. |
19:42 |
Orken dresses Akbota in hunting gear |
MATT CARNEY: Her father,
Orken Baitilkarib, is a respected eagle hunter. He’s backing his daughter
every step of the way. |
19:55 |
|
ORKEN BAITILKARIB: “My
daughter is very brave. She’s determined to reach her goals. Girls can do
marital arts – |
20:04 |
Orken interview |
sambo, judo and wrestling.
They’re growing and learning and beating the boys. And even if they don’t
beat them the never give up competing and they’re not far behind. We have all
seen it! Girls like Aisholpan and Akbota – they are going the right way”. |
20:11 |
Akbota with eagle |
MATT CARNEY: He’s been
teaching her for three years. They spend every weekend training. |
20:35 |
Akbota on back of motorcycle carrying eagle |
ORKEN BAITILKARIB: “When she
was eight she started following eagles… showing interest. Basically, she
started coming along when we went hunting nearby. She especially loved having
the eagle fly to her arm when she called”. |
20:45 |
|
MATT CARNEY: For Akbota it
means freedom – an escape from a future already laid out for most young
girls. |
21:08 |
Akbota holds hooded eagle |
AKBOTA: “My plan for the
future is to teach coming generations about raising and training eagles to
hunt. I also want to introduce our eagle culture to the world”. |
21:15 |
Akbota carrying eagle up mountain |
MATT CARNEY: At first Akbota
struggled even to carry the eagle which can weigh up to 8 kilograms. It took
her a year to build up the strength. |
21:29 |
Akbota releases eagle and it flies to Orken |
Music |
21:41 |
|
MATT CARNEY: Now the bigger
test, Akbota has to call and land the eagle on her arm. |
22:20 |
Akbota calls eagle |
It shows she’s developing a
relationship with the bird. |
22:30 |
Eagle flies to Akbota |
AKBOTA: “I’m going to
perfect the skill of calling the eagle across more quickly. That’s the result
I’m aiming to achieve”. ORKEN BAITILKARIB: “Go around!
That way!” |
22:44 |
|
MATT CARNEY: When an eagle
is nearly as big as you, it’s not that easy to control! ORKEN BAITILKARIB: “Shake
it! Yank your arm up! Good, good!” AKBOTA: “How did it fly?” ORKEN BAITILKARIB; “That was
excellent. Now we’ll do this drill. I will release her, and you will lead her
around the formation. When the eagle is about to land you have to go around
the other way. |
23:02 |
|
Land her in on your arm… let
her nibble some food”. |
23:31 |
Akbota waving pelt and calling eagle |
MATT CARNEY: Akbota is her
father’s sole hope to maintain the family’s hunting tradition. Her three
older brothers were all sent to university in the city and stayed there for
work. ORKEN BAITILKARIB: “It makes
me really happy to see her succeed. |
23:35 |
Orken holding eagle |
She’s making good progress,
and that makes me proud. I’m also happy for her because she loves this very
much”. |
23:52 |
High school/Akbota in class |
MATT CARNEY: On weekdays
Akbota goes to the local high school. She wants to be a teacher or a
journalist and believes she can keep the eagle hunting as well. |
24:03 |
Akbota’s mother teaching |
Akbota’s mother, Takhau
Oser, teaches Kazakh traditional culture at the school. She knows better than
most that things are changing fast and mostly for the better. |
24:18 |
Takhau interview |
TAKHAU OSER: “The idea that
women can only do domestic chores is ancient. It’s for very old people. In
today’s world, girls need to be tough – and be competitive with boys. That’s
why I don’t agree with that old ideology”. |
24:36 |
Akbota plays basketball in high school gym |
MATT CARNEY: Akbota may not
realise it, but she’s inspiring her classmates. |
24:59 |
Carney with Akbota and her classmates |
“What does she want to do
when she grows up?” |
25:08 |
Girl classmate |
GIRL #1: “I want to be a
policewoman”. MATT CARNEY: “Does she think
women can do anything that men can do?” GIRL #1: “Of course!” MATT CARNEY: “Why?” |
25:11 |
|
GIRL #1: “There is no
difference between the two. If you can, you will”. |
25:17 |
|
MATT CARNEY: “And what do
you think about the girls doing hunting, is it a good thing or a bad thing?” |
25:23 |
Boy classmate |
BOY: “I think it’s right.
Anyone can do whatever they wish”. |
25:26 |
|
MATT CARNEY: “What does she
want to do when she grows?” |
25:29 |
Girl #2 classmate |
GIRL #2: “I want to be a
doctor”. MATT CARNEY: “Does she want
to hunt at all?” GIRL #2: “Yes, I want to. In
the beginning, |
25:31 |
|
when Akbota told the class
that she was learning eagle hunting we were very happy for her. We all wished
her to be famous, like Aisholpan”. |
25:37 |
Beken’s home valley |
MATT CARNEY: Back in the
valley where we met our first hunters, they’re not bothered by girls hunting.
|
25:55 |
Beken walks with Bakhbergen |
Beken has a much bigger
worry. BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “I’m now 55
years old. |
26:00 |
Beken interview/Valley GVs |
When I was a child, nature
was quite different to how it is now. Back then the winter was very harsh. It
used to snow so much more. I don’t see that now. I don’t think those winters
are coming back. I think climate change, the global warming effect, will
spell the end for us eagle hunters”. |
26:07 |
Beken and Bakhbergen build eagle trap |
MATT CARNEY: There’s still
time enough Beken hopes for his son Bakhbergen to master his hunting skills. |
26:37 |
|
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “First of
all, this top has to be open…” |
26:45 |
Beken interview |
“I believe he can be a good
hunter one day. He’s doing well. He’s getting used to it. I think he’ll
become a better hunter than his old man”. |
26:51 |
Beken and Bakhbergen build eagle trap |
“This can trap eagles
whether they come from the top or the side. Once they’re inside, there’s no
escape. It’s good, right?” |
27:01 |
|
MATT CARNEY: They don’t
always take the eaglets from the nest. Sometimes they trap young adults and
tame them. |
27:12 |
|
BEKEN ERMYEKBAI: “Eagles in
spring have the sharpest eyes. She’ll come for the bait here. Her first
instinct is to land here”. |
27:18 |
|
MATT CARNEY: This ancient
tradition is under pressure, but young Kazakhs insist it’s in good hands. |
27:19 |
|
BAKHBERGEN: “I want this to
remain part of our Kazakh blood, so that after me there’ll be great people – |
27:37 |
Bakhbergen interview |
younger generations who’ll
lift up the eagle and preserve our tradition of eagle hunting to continue to
be eagle trainers and hunters”. |
27:44 |
Scenery |
Music |
27:54 |
Akbota interview |
AKBOTA: “If I am brave and
determined, I’ll keep doing this. After all, this is a Kazakh national
treasure. We need this. I want to contribute my part and teach others, to let
it live on”. |
27:59 |
Eagle training |
Music |
28:18 |
Credits: |
Reporter - Matthew Carney Executive producer –
Marianne Leitch abc.net.au/foreign |
28:29 |
Out point after credits |
|
28:45 |