AN eagle which was raised in the Alps and starred in a major Austrian film has come to live in the Dyfi Valley, writes David Lynch.

Altai, a two-year-old male golden eagle, was raised and trained by falconer Franz Schüttelkopf at Adler Arena Austria, specifically for featuring in the movie Brothers of the Wind, and has recently joined the team of birds of prey at Falconry Experience Wales near Machynlleth.

The eagle features throughout the movie - from an eaglet to an adult.

It was filmed on location in the Austrian Alps over a four-year period.

The story starts with an eagle chick pushing his weaker brother to a certain death on the forest floor. But fate intervenes and the chick is found by a young boy named Lukas.

Naming him Abel, Lukas cares for the creature in secret, finding a companionship denied to him by his father.

The boy and the eagle come of age together throughout the film, which also features scenes of Altai soaring above the Alps and hunting in his natural environment.

The film is narrated by Jean Reno, who stars alongside Manuel Camacho and Tobias Moretti.

The filmmakers have won a number of cinematography awards for their work and also received the stamp of approval from the World Wildlife Foundation.

The movie has already been screened in cinemas across Europe, with news of its UK release to be announced.

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