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Whale Rider
Film (Trailer and Excerpts) – 2002
Whale Rider follows a young Māori girl, Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), who challenges tradition and embraces the past in order to find the strength to lead her people forward. Written and directed by Niki Caro, the movie is based on Witi Ihimaera's novel The Whale Rider. Coupling a specific sense of place and culture with a universal coming-of-age story, Whale Rider became one of the most successful New Zealand films released internationally. It also won Audience Choice awards at the Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals. Castle-Hughes become one of the youngest actors to be nominated for a leading role at the Academy Awards.
The genius of the movie is the way it sidesteps all of the obvious cliches of the underlying story and makes itself fresh, observant, tough and genuinely moving ... this is not a simplistic fable but the story of real people living in modern times.– Roger Ebert in a Chicago Star-Times review, 20 June 2003
Key Cast & Crew
See all 29 credits
Acknowledgements
Made with financing from the NZ Film Production Fund, the NZ Film Commission, Filmstiftung NRW (Germany) and NZ On Air
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Behind the Scenes of Whale Rider
Making of documentary
The Lost Whales
Documentary about southern right whales
Kaleidoscope - Witi Ihimaera
Documentary about Whale Rider author Witi Ihimaera
The Vintner's Luck
Also starring Keisha Castle-Hughes and directed by Niki Caro
in beTWEEN - Politics
Actor Rawiri Paratene talks about whales in this kids show
Kaitangata Twitch - First Episode
Another determined young female Māori protagonist
Witi Ihimaera: Roimata Toroa
Author Witi Ihimaera returns home
Boy
Another tale of a Māori East Coast childhood
Opo
Actor Rawiri Paratene and a dolphin
Jubilee
Cliff Curtis's first lead role in a feature film
Bad Note for a Heart
Straitjacket Fits music video directed by Niki Caro
E Tipu e Rea - Variations on a Theme
Short drama featuring Rawiri Paratene
Ngāti Porou East Coast 2001 - True Colours
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The Sea Child
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The Day Morris Left
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Aroha: A Story of the Māori People
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Footage
Also directed by Niki Caro
The Wall
Directed by Whale Rider’s casting director Diana Rowan
For Art's Sake - Waiora
Rawiri Paratene also stars in this play
The Insatiable Moon
Rawiri Paratene stars
Joe and Koro - High Society
Also starring Rawiri Paratene
Illustrious Energy
Directed by Whale Rider cinematographer Leon Narbey
Va Tapuia - Sacred Spaces
Also shot by Leon Narbey
The Orator - O Le Tulafale
Also shot by Leon Narbey
The Dark Horse
Also stars Cliff Curtis
Old Bastards
Niki Caro also directed this short film
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Arriving Tuesday
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White Lies
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Frontseat - Who Can Play Māori
Discussion on actors playing other races and iwi
A Whale's Tale
Whale watching in Kaikōura
Nights in the Gardens of Spain
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The Graffiti of Mr Tupaia
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Piece of My Heart
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