Behind the Scenes of Whale Rider

Television (Full Length) – 2003

Jonathan Brough’s documentary on the making of Whale Rider travels from the East Coast town of Whāngārā, where the mythical whale rider Paikea landed, to Hollywood. This featurette combines behind-the-scenes footage with interviews from the core cast and crew, touching on such topics as Witi Ihimaera's original novel, the casting of Keisha Castle-Hughes and the director's vision. A particularly fascinating segment explores the special effects: nine whales, brought to the screen through a combination of life-sized models and digital effects, as well as the very real stunts from a young and brave Castle-Hughes.

If we didn’t have a Paikea, we didn’t have a film. A few people could play Koro, a few people could play Porourangi, a few people could play Rawiri. But boy we really needed just one person to play that girl, and that wasn’t an easy find.
– Actor Rawiri Paratene (who plays Koro) on the casting of Keisha Castle-Hughes