Whale Rider
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.
Average Score : 71
In the ways of the ancients she found a hope for the future.
Status: Released
Release Date: 2003-01-30
Production Companies South Pacific Pictures Pandora Film ApolloMedia New Zealand Film Production Fund New Zealand Film Commission NZ on Air Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen
Production Countries Germany,New Zealand,
Run time: 101 minutes
Budget: $8,000,000
Revenue: $41,400,000
