New Zealand / Germany,
2002, 105 min
Shown in 2003
CREDITS
- dir
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Niki Caro
- prod
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John Barnett, Frank Hübner, Tim Sanders
- scr
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Niki Caro
- cam
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Leon Narbey
- editor
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David Coulson
- mus
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Lisa Gerrard
- cast
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Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis, Grant Roa
- source
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Newmarket Films, 597 Fifth Ave., 7th Fl., New York, NY 10017. FAX: 212-899-5619. EMAIL: beth@newmarketfilms.com.
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COMMENTS
Niki Caro in person.
OTHER
The Whangara people believe their presence in New Zealand dates back a thousand years to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs—always first-born males—have been considered Paikea’s direct descendants. But what would happen if a girl tried to enter the pantheon of leaders? That’s the question that drives Niki Caro’s luminous and deeply spiritual film. In a wrenching opening scene, a young mother and the male of her newborn twins die in childbirth, leaving her grandparents to raise the sole survivor, a feisty little girl named Pai. This captivating child radiates life energy, and with first-time actor Keisha Castle-Hughes in the role, she’s absolutely charismatic. The entire community loves her, but alas, the grandfather she worships is too busy mourning the loss of the baby boy he expected to lead the tribe. With striking landscapes and authentic performances from both people and whales, Caro improves upon magic realism by offering realistic magic instead. Whale Rider is an exceptional coming-of-age fable that never cheats its audience, allowing viewers of all ages to rediscover innocence and wisdom, free of cynicism and doubt. Save the whales? That’s not enough: Let the whales save us.
—B. Ruby Rich
FACTOID #75
Italian screen siren and ’60s sex symbol Sophia Loren appeared in two films screened at the San Francisco International Film Festival: Ettore Scola’s A Special Day in 1977 and Francesco Rosi’s More Than a Miracle in 1981.
