Whale Rider
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Niki Caro
Keisha Castle-hughes
Rawiri Paratene
Vicky Haughton
Cliff Curtis
Rawinia Clarke
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs have always been the first-born and male. Many generations later, the contemporary tale revolves around a young mother whose male newborn twin dies in childbirth. Her young husband flees New Zealand in grief, leaving grandparents Koro and Nanny Flowers to raise the sole survivor, a feisty little girl named Pai, who radiates with life and energy. It's no wonder that her grandmother and the entire community love her, but alas, the grandfather she worships is too busy mourning the loss of the baby boy he expected would lead the tribe to better days.
Director
Niki Caro
Cast
Keisha Castle-hughes
Rawiri Paratene
Vicky Haughton
Cliff Curtis
Rawinia Clarke
Tammy Davis
Grant Roa
Mana Taumaunu
Tyronne White
Taupuru Whakataka-brightwell
Tenia Mcclutchie-mita
Rachel House
Mabel Burt
Tahei Simpson
Aomuri Parata-haua
Roimata Taimana
Elizabeth Skeen
Pura Tangira
John Sumner
Sam Woods
Keriana Thomson
Peter Patuwai
Rutene Spooner
Riccardo Davis
Apiata Whangapirita-apanui
Heema Taumaunu
Hirini Melbourne
Richard Nunns
Crew
Phil Addenbrook
Phil Addenbrook
Armie Armstrong
Christina Asher
John Barnett
Dan Blanchard
Simon Bowley
Reinhard Brundig
Justin Buckingham
Chris Burt
Kirsty Cameron
Sally Campbell
Niki Caro
Dean Clark
Dean Clark
Stephan Colli
Stephan Colli
David Coulson
Barry Down
Rhys Duncan
Kerry Dunn
Steve Dyson
Ricky Edwards
Laura Fong
Bill Gavin
Oliver Gee
Oliver Gee
Lisa Gerrard
Linda Goldstein-knowlton
Chris Gough
Reinhild Graber
Brett Graham
Moira Grant
Terry Green
Anna Gundesen
Carol Haapu
Mark Harris
Karen Hawkyard
Willy Heatley
Frank Hubner
Witi Ihimaera
Witi Ihimaera
Neil James
Camelija Karlic
Jason Michael Knox-johnston
Torus Koln
Stefan Korte
Denise Kum
Denise Kum
Rudolf Kurz
John Lott
Steve Lowe
Dave Madigan
Grant Major
Maka Makatoa
Bernard Makoare
Charlie Mcclellan
Janet Mciver
Pat Merrifield
Guy Moana
Peter Moerenhout
Grace Mok
James Mok
Leon Narbey
Sven Neumann
Greg Nichols
Johnny Poi
Podge Preston
Mirko Reinhard
Mirko Reinhard
Luigi Rensinghoff
Kevin Riley
Diana Rowan
Tim Sanders
Robert Sarkies
Joan Scheckel
Wilmont Schulze
Michelle Sowman
Sigmund Spath
Josef Steinbuchel
Josef Steinbuchel
Gavin Strawhan
Karen Sydney
Liz Tan
Hone Taumaunu
Dean Taylor
Nick Theobald
Kathleen Thomas
Mike Turner
Stuart Turner
Jacek Tushewski
Anne Urban
Markus Wimmer
Markus Wimmer
Steve Young
Andre Zimmermann
Film Details
Technical Specs
Award Nominations
Best Actress
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Nominated for the 2004 Screen Actor's Guild (SAG) award for Best Supporting Actress (Keisha Castle-Hughes).
Winner of the Audience Award for Best Feature Film (World Cinema Competition) at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.
Winner of the People's Choice Award at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival.
Released in United States January 2003
Released in United States May 2003
Released in United States on Video October 28, 2003
Released in United States Summer June 6, 2003
Shown at Tribeca Film Festival (Showcase) May 3-11, 2003.
Newmarket acquired distribution rights at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival.
Released in United States January 2003 (Shown at Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema) January 16-26, 2003.)
Released in United States May 2003 (Shown at Tribeca Film Festival (Showcase) May 3-11, 2003.)
Released in United States Summer June 6, 2003
Released in United States on Video October 28, 2003
