Lauded British photojournalist Alisdair Macdonald was many things: A long-time employee of the Daily Mirror, a well-known documenter of The Beatles, and a celebrated falconer. He was also a beloved father, and when he suddenly passed away in 2007, his child, the writer Helen Macdonald (who identifies as non-binary) took the shock particularly hard.

In 2014, Macdonald published “H Is for Hawk,” a deep-feeling memoir about their grief, and how they attempted to heal it by adopting and training a young Eurasian goshawk, in the spirit of their falconer father. The book was a smash, a best-seller that won the Samuel Johnson Prize and Costa Book of the Year award.

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Now, nearly 20 years after the loss of the man who inspired it, the story of Alisdair, Helen, and Mabel the goshawk has gotten the big screen treatment. Directed by Philippa Lowthorpe with a script by Lowthorpe and “Room” author Emma Donoghue, the film casts Claire Foy as Helen (and a clearly very talented raptor as Mabel). The film also stars Denise Gough, Sam Spruell, and Lindsay Duncan.

Per the film’s official synopsis, “‘H Is for Hawk’ follows Helen (Foy), who, after the sudden death of her father (Brendan Gleeson), loses herself in the memories of their time birding and exploring the natural world together and turns the ancient art of falconry — rooted in European tradition — training a wild goshawk named Mabel to navigate her profound loss. But as she teaches Mabel to hunt and fly free, Helen discovers how deeply she has neglected her own emotions and life. What begins as an act of endurance transforms into an intimate journey of resilience and healing.”

The film premiered at Telluride in September, where our own David Ehrlich wrote in his review that the film “comes alive during the frequent scenes of Helen training Mabel to trust her, to come back to her when she calls, and eventually to hunt with her. The bond doesn’t form overnight. At first, Foy plays Helen like someone who has an apache gunship-like killing machine strapped to her arm, and though the actress underwent extensive training for the role, you get the sense that it probably wasn’t a struggle for her to get into character during these scenes. Like Tom Cruise driving a motorcycle off a cliff or Werner Herzog pulling a steamship over a hill (not personally, but you know what I mean), there’s a visceral thrill to the undeniable fact of what Foy is doing.”

Roadside Attractions will release “H Is for Hawk” in December for a one-week qualifying run, with a nationwide rollout to follow on January 23, 2026. Watch the first trailer for the film below.