1/2/2023 0 Comments Whale rider![]() The little girl is raised by her grandparents as her father goes away to the U.S., to attempt to immerse himself into his artwork. Whale Rider is good for the whole family to watch!Ī young Maori girl is born healthy and her twin brother and mother die during childbirth. Beautiful and dramatic New Zealand landscapes and dreamy underwater whale photography cement the formula of the film and add to its magic. The traditional costumes, language, chants, and personality of the Maori people come through well, while the tale is clearly a modern fiction, based on a novel by Witi Ihimaera. As Pai, first-time actress Castle-Hughes is a small but impressive warrior, perfectly balancing kid naivety with adult bravery. The rest is intuition, and Pai has loads of it-enough to communicate with the ancestors, and call them to her for help and guidance.Weaving family life, cultural tradition, and an ancient myth into a contemporary story, WHALE RIDER is a tender tale. Pai's grandmother, Flowers (Vicky Haughton), defies Koro to support Pai, and her uncle, Rawiri (Grant Roa), trains her in the chants and battle techniques she needs. He is extremely traditional and is superstitious that even Pai's curiosity in learning to be chief could upset the ancestors (who are the whales themselves). However, her grandfather, Koro (Rawiri Paratene), who is the current chief, stands firmly in the way of Pai's dream. In part, the role is her birthright, as her twin brother died in childbirth, and she survived. ![]() Compare it with the latest releases from Hollywood, and it's no wonder to arrive at the conclusion that stories like Whale Rider have such an universal appeal that should be brought to the screen more often because of the positive way they show a society and its people at its best.New Zealand's Maori culture is the focus of WHALE RIDER, the powerful coming-of-age tale of Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes), a 13-year-old girl who feels destined to become leader and chief to her tribe although that role has always been reserved for males. The grandparents are very well portrayed by Rawiri Paratene and Vicky Houghton. ![]() This girl has such a strong magnetism while on camera that one tends to forget the rest of the other characters every time she appears. Basically, it is a simple story very well told with a great performance by the child actress Keisha Castle-Hughes. Even though he loves the girl, he can't deviate in his narrow vision of the world he knows. The girl, Pai, will grow to be an enchanting girl who will be excluded from the teachings of her grandfather Koro. Because of the rage Porourangi, the eldest son, feels after the death of his wife giving birth to twins, where only the female survives, he leaves his country and the baby girl is taken by the grandparents. It has to do with the frustration of Koro by the defection of his eldest son, the designated heir of hundred years of a bloodline where only the males can carry the knowledge and the legends from one generation to the next. The story presented here has a lot to do with pride and tradition, which is a running theme among different cultural groups the world over. Having visited New Zealand, but not being very familiar with the Maori culture, this film was a refreshing way to learn some aspects of it. ![]() The film presents a glimpse of the Maori society in New Zealand's North Island. Director Niki Caro has done wonders in bringing this story to the screen as it shows a different and much simple world than the rat race of our society and the horrible times we live in. This film, which opened in New York recently, was a total surprise. ![]()
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