Whale Rider
—20th Anniversary

Spunky and determined 12-year-old Paikea, must both challenge tradition and embrace the past in order to find the strength to lead her people forward in this critically acclaimed story of bravery, perseverance, and whānau.

Based on Witi Ihimaera’s celebrated novel The Whale Rider, Niki Caro’s poignant, powerful, and much-loved feature couples a specific sense of place and culture with a universal coming-of-age story. Whale Rider met with incredible response worldwide, winning audience choice awards at Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals, and deservedly earning the remarkable 13-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes an Academy Award nomination for her startling film debut — the then-youngest person to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actress.

“My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the Whale Rider.” Raised by her Koro and Nanny after her twin brother and Māmā died during her birth, Paikea senses that her destiny is to be her Iwi’s next rangatira. But in a patriarchal society steeped in deep tradition, no one suspects that their leader could be a girl, least of all Pai’s Koro, who loves his Mokopuna wahine, but wanted a male grandchild to lead their people into the future. This is a full of heart story underpinned by an exquisite and irresistible performance from Keisha Castle-Hughes, as uplifting and empowering as it was upon its release two decades ago.