Whale Rider (2002)

Réalisateur:

Niki Caro

Writers:

Witi Ihimaera (novel)
Niki Caro (screenplay)

Release Date:

4 juillet 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drame | Family

Accroche:

One young girl dared to confront the past, change the present and determine the future

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Young Girl | Culture Clash | Generation Gap | Dying In Childbirth | Mother Died At Childbirth

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 29 wins & 28 nominations

Avis des utilisateurs:

Pai will be my leader!

Ensemble

Keisha Castle-Hughes	...	Paikea
Rawiri Paratene	...	Koro
Vicky Haughton	...	Nanny Flowers
Cliff Curtis	...	Porourangi
Grant Roa	...	Uncle Rawiri
Mana Taumaunu	...	Hemi
Rachel House	...	Shilo
Taungaroa Emile	...	Willie
Tammy Davis	...	Dog
Mabel Wharekawa	...	Maka (as Mabel Wharekawa-Burt)
Rawinia Clarke	...	Miro
Tahei Simpson	...	Miss Parata
Roi Taimana	...	Hemi's Dad (as Roimata Tamana)
Elizabeth Skeen	...	Rehua
Tyronne White	...	Jake (as Tyrone White)

Autre(s) titre(s) :

Geliebte Giganten - Wale (Germany)
Te kaieke tohora (New Zealand: Maori title)
Légende des baleines, La (Canada: French title) [fr]
Paï (France) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief language and a momentary drug reference.

Durée:

101 min

Pays:

New Zealand | Germany

Langue:

Anglais | Maori

Couleur:

Couleur

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Son:

Dolby Digital

Classification:

Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | Iceland:L | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Brazil:Livre | Finland:K-7 | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | Ireland:PG | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:PG | Norway:11 | Portugal:M/6 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Emplacements De Pelliculage:

Henderson Valley Studios, Hickory Avenue, Henderson, Auckland, New Zealand

Company:

ApolloMedia

Anecdotes:

At auditions for the role of Paikea, Keisha Castle-Hughes told casting directors that she could swim. However, when it came time to film the swimming scenes, she admitted she couldn't but she did it anyway.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the girl has been crying and the grandfather is comforting her, he wipes the tears from her face. In some shots, you can see where he wiped the tear, in other shots, you see a tear that has tricked down to her chin, and in some shots, she has a tear that hasn't traveled so far.

Guillemet:

Koro: If you have the tooth of a whale, you must have the jaw of a whale to yield it.

Connexions De Film:

Featured in 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Kaikoura Dub

Pai will be my leader!

This film, which opened in New York recently, was a total surprise. 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.

The film presents a glimpse of the Maori society in New Zealand's North Island. 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 story presented here has a lot to do with pride and tradition, which is a running theme among different cultural groups the world over. 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.

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. The girl, Pai, will grow to be an enchanting girl who will be excluded from the teachings of her grandfather Koro. Even though he loves the girl, he can't deviate in his narrow vision of the world he knows.

Basically, it is a simple story very well told with a great performance by the child actress Keisha Castle-Hughes. 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. The grandparents are very well portrayed by Rawiri Paratene and Vicky Houghton.

This is a film for all ages to enjoy. 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.