Niki Caro's touching feminist parable, based on Witi Ihimaera's novel, recasts a thousand-year-old legend in a contemporary light and offers a beautifully framed picture window onto a virtually hidden culture. The setting is Whangara, a remote village on the coast of New Zealand's North Island, where the indigenous Maori people lay claim to a fabulous provenance. According to legend, the Ngati Konohi tribe's founder, Paikea, arrived on the back of a tremendous whale. Ever since, each successive generation's first-born son is considered the venerable Paikea's latest incarnation and given his name. This child is expected to fulfill his destiny by becoming the tribe's n...
Released:
2003
Rated:
PG-13
Length:
105 mins