Synopsis
Whale Rider (2002) 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. ??berkeley

Awards: 33 wins & 35 nominations total
Budget: $3,500,000 (estimated)
Worldwide Gross: $41,062,976
Soundtrack: Bar One ((International Observer))


Niki Caro
Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton
2003-08-29 (New Zealand, Germany)
tt0298228