Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes) performs a traditional dance.

A whale of a tale
Whale Rider


Stars Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis and Grant Roa.
Rated PG.
Reviewer: PTE Simone Heyer
WOW. I knew nothing about Whale Rider before going to see it, expecting a few whales, and maybe a rider, set in New Zealand. Not even the highest praise can give this movie justice.

It is captivating, saddening but magical – easily the best movie I’ve seen this year.

It’s the story of family relationships, of traditions and the future.

A small community of Maoris are proud of their descent from Paikea, the Whale Rider called to help fill the world at the beginning of time.

In every generation, for more than 1000 years, the first-born becomes chief – except Porourangi’s child. His wife gives birth to a daughter, then dies while giving birth to the girl’s stillborn twin brother, leaving Pai to take the position her family expects filled.

As a girl, it seems even though destiny has granted it, her grandfather Koro does everything in his power to exclude her.
Porourangi leaves the country and his parents raise Pai. Even though Koro begins to love her, he sees that everything in the family has gone wrong because the first-born was a girl.

Pai adores her grandfather and tries to make him happy and proud, but he resists her because she is not a boy.

He banishes her from his home and begins training the boys of the family in the ways of the tribe, seeking one of them to become the next chief. He seeks the qualities of bravery, intelligence, wisdom and fitness – Pai exceeds, but isn’t even considered.

She sneaks outside the school to hear the lessons and trains with her uncle. While the boys fail the chief, one by one, Pai continues to shine, though her grandfather ignores her.

When a pod of whales beach themselves on coast, the tribespeople try everything in their power to push the beasts back to the safety of the ocean. When they tire, the outcast Pai knows it is time to become the whale rider.

It is then that Koro realises he has been blind and is forced to change his ideals to have his tribe continue in the ways of the ancients.