Whale Rider | Emma

She is the “whale rider”: the legendary successor to the Maori ancestors who, according to legend, once rode from Hawaii to New Zealand on the back of a whale. Her grandfather, the tradition-conscious Maori patriarch Koro, would have recognized this immediately—if only he had been willing to notice the girl, Pai. But he would rather toil with the fat, bored boys and nearly die of self-pity over the grief of not being able to pass the torch to the Maori chief he so longed for—than recognize the chosen one in the brave, proud, and intuitive manner of 12-year-old Pai.

The story is set in faraway New Zealand, in the Maori settlement of Whangara on the Pacific coast – yet it is so close to us. In private, the little girl is still loved by her grandfather, but if things get serious, she will be rejected. It's a good thing that the grandmother and the man are rejected too. [der Zweitgeborene] Stick with it. This is how you emotionally hold on and engage in the rejected knowledge about men.

With her second award-winning feature, New Zealand director Niki Caro tells a true fairy tale between myth and modernity. It's profound without being overwhelming; poignant without being cheesy; touching and moving.

The supporting roles are played by the island's natives and the extremely talented leading actress Keisha Castle-Hughes was chosen from thousands of actresses. The film is also suitable for them: “You can do whatever you want: boys are always better than girls!” – but in “Whale Rider” the girl is better than all the boys. How cute.