Whale Rider (2003)

Name: Whale Rider
Genre: Drama, Family
Released: 2003-01-30
Duration: 1 h 41 min

Drama Family

Runtime101 min

RatingPG

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A contemporary story of love, rejection, and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize.

Critical Reception & Ratings

Whale Rider (2003) is a critically acclaimed drama that focuses on a young Maori girl's fight to fulfill her destiny despite her grandfather's refusal to recognize her. The film was nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and has received high ratings from both critics and audiences, with an IMDb score of 7.7 and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 91%.

Why you might like this:

This acclaimed New Zealand drama features a powerful coming-of-age story and stunning visual style similar to the films mentioned, exploring themes of family, tradition, and finding one's own path.

About

Whale Rider is a 2002 New Zealand drama film written and directed by Niki Caro, based on the 1987 novel by Witi Ihimaera. The film stars Keisha Castle-Hughes as Kahu Paikea Apirana, a twelve-year-old Māori girl whose ambition is to become the chief of the tribe. Her grandfather believes that this is a role reserved for males only. A coproduction between New Zealand and Germany, the film was shot on location in Whangara, the setting of the novel.