A young girl defies the values of her Maori culture when she feels called to become a Chief. Told convincingly without getting overly sentimental. It made me ponder (as The Gods Must Be Crazy did) what the ramifications are for a culture that is thrust suddenly into a global environment that other cultures have had a couple of millenia to adapt to.
4 responses to “Movie: Whale Rider”
I liked this movie too…I was surprised it was as popular as it was here, though, as the pace is slow and the story felt too genuine–not glossy–to be an American movie. Maybe it’s not…I can’t remember. I didn’t like it as much as The Gods Must Be Crazy though. That one takes the cake for capturing the spirit of what I remember as Peace Corps humor.
Yes – I didn’t really mean to put this movie on a par with The Gods Must Be Crazy. It was made in New Zealand and Germany.
Apropos of almost nothing, there is another movie by the director of The Gods Must Be Crazy called Animals Are Beautiful People that you really should check out. It maybe the funniest nature program ever made.
Thanks! Onto the queue with it.