Whale Rider

There are few family films that are around now a days that show the changes from generation to generation, and how these changes can be harmful to the community at large. The entire story focuses on the young life of Paikea and how the choices that were made at the time of her birth, and then for the twelve years of her life, have effected the village that she lives in. The story is so strong that its hard not to fall in love with this little girl and her family, and with all the hardships that they go through there are times that you want to breakdown and cry. After years of being without a chief, through a twist of fate, to guide the village, Paka decides that all of the first-born boys be trained and completely ignores his granddaughter who is the rightful heir. The cinematography of this film is at times breathtaking and leave you awestruck and wanting to see these places for yourself. The conflicts that are shown throughout the film are no different from situations that many of us have had to deal with, and for that reason the movie is gripping because of the similarities to our own lives. The growth of Paikea's character from beginning to end shows how the ways of her ancestors were just as important in today's world as it was in the ancient times.
It's a pleasure to watch a story about a people who have such a rich history and can trace their origins back to the beginning of life on this island. A friend of mine recommended this movie and was well worth the time, after watching it I have the feeling that I've watched one of the better pieces of film out there on the market. This is a movie that the whole family can sit down and watch, and maybe learn a few things about what we all go through in life.