whale rider
The story takes place in the small town Whangara in New Zealand. Many centuries ago a legendary ancestor named Paikea brought there the Maori people, who still live there. The myth about Paikea says that he was rescued by a whale, after his canoe was lost in the sea. He rode the whale and founded the Maori people, and from that day the tradition exists: an eldest son is the Chief of the tribe and the leader.
Once deep within the ocean, a herd of whales was responding, and when the whales began stranding on the beach, this seemed to be a signal of an apocalyptic end to his tribe. Until one person prepares to make the sacrifice to save the people...the Whale Rider. “Whale Rider” shows emotional experience of a young Maori girl, Pai, who is the main character and the brightest personality in the film. She struggles to gain the approval of her grandfather and her people. From the beginning, Paikea, or Pai, is a young girl in a man's world. Though she is loved by her grandfather named Koro, who is the Chief of the Maori tribe, she is not accepted as a future leader and as a person as well.
A special attention should be paid to the concept of shadows in the story, as it has an important meaning. The symbolism from the beginning foreshadows Pai's future as a leader: a close up of the crying baby's green eye mirrors the close up of a whale's eye. So the focus of the eye humanizes the whale and connects the young girl to the animal. As Pai grows older, her defiant character of a leader becomes evident. Pai herself is interested in the leadership, learning traditional songs and dances, and Taiaha fighting - a traditional stick fighting method used by the Maori men. Pai feels that she can become the leader, but it is impossible for a woman to do so, and she is given little encouragement by her grandfather. Paikea: “My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the whale rider. I'm not a prophet, but I know that our
Once deep within the ocean, a herd of whales was responding, and when the whales began stranding on the beach, this seemed to be a signal of an apocalyptic end to his tribe. Until one person prepares to make the sacrifice to save the people...the Whale Rider. “Whale Rider” shows emotional experience of a young Maori girl, Pai, who is the main character and the brightest personality in the film. She struggles to gain the approval of her grandfather and her people. From the beginning, Paikea, or Pai, is a young girl in a man's world. Though she is loved by her grandfather named Koro, who is the Chief of the Maori tribe, she is not accepted as a future leader and as a person as well.
A special attention should be paid to the concept of shadows in the story, as it has an important meaning. The symbolism from the beginning foreshadows Pai's future as a leader: a close up of the crying baby's green eye mirrors the close up of a whale's eye. So the focus of the eye humanizes the whale and connects the young girl to the animal. As Pai grows older, her defiant character of a leader becomes evident. Pai herself is interested in the leadership, learning traditional songs and dances, and Taiaha fighting - a traditional stick fighting method used by the Maori men. Pai feels that she can become the leader, but it is impossible for a woman to do so, and she is given little encouragement by her grandfather. Paikea: “My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the whale rider. I'm not a prophet, but I know that our