Whale Rider

WHALE RIDER is set in a Māori community in New Zealand. According to legend, the Māori came to Whangara when their great leader, Paikea, led them by riding on a whale. Ever since, they've been led by Paikea's descendants. The movie begins with the birth of twins, the latest in that family line. But the male twin and his mother die. Over the objection of the current leader, Koro, the female twin who survives is named Paikaea. Her heartbroken father leaves New Zealand, and Pai is left to be raised by her grandparents. Grandfather Koro loves Pai deeply, but he's still bitter about not having a male heir. When Pai is 12, Koro assembles the local boys to start training them in the traditions of their culture and test them to see who has courage, skill, wisdom, and leadership to follow in his own footsteps. It's clear to Pai's grandmother and to Pai herself that she has all those qualities, but Koro, struggling fiercely to maintain his pride and identity against the assaults of the modern world, can't allow himself to consider such a change. - Common Sense Media

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