7.1 of 10 (387 reviews)

Whale Rider

Movie PG-13 7.1 2003 101 min

On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea’s direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.

Country:

Germany

Genre:

Drama, Family

Year:

2003

Director:

Niki Caro

Stars:

Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton

Tags:

becoming an adult, canoe, chief, diving, empowerment