Whale Rider (2003)
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, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.
Keywords: tmdb.ocean, tmdb.loss-of-loved-one, tmdb.tradition, tmdb.grandparent-grandchild-relationship, tmdb.becoming-an-adult, tmdb.empowerment, tmdb.new-zealand + 68 more, tmdb.maori-tradition, tmdb.modern-society, tmdb.whale, tmdb.patriarch, tmdb.canoe, tmdb.patriarchy, tmdb.woman-director, tmdb.magic-realism, mdblist.has-trailer, mdblist.certified-fresh, imdb.title-directed-by-female, imdb.traditional-dance, imdb.ancestral-heritage, imdb.apology, imdb.f-rated, imdb.applause, imdb.loss-of-mother, imdb.twin, imdb.feminist-film, tmdb.chief, tmdb.stick-fighting, imdb.whale, imdb.maori, imdb.girl, imdb.tradition, imdb.new-zealand, imdb.female-protagonist, imdb.legend, imdb.speech, imdb.whale-rider, imdb.pregnancy, imdb.childbirth, imdb.birth, imdb.trophy, imdb.teacher, imdb.sexism, imdb.beach, imdb.independent-film, imdb.child-protagonist, mdblist.ext.2k-blu-ray, imdb.female-director, imdb.female-filmmaker, imdb.oceania, imdb.maori-girl, imdb.11-year-old, imdb.11-year-old-girl, imdb.patriarchy, imdb.hairy-chest, imdb.hairy-armpit, imdb.bare-chested-male, imdb.teenage-girl-as-protagonist, imdb.strong-female-lead, imdb.strong-girl, imdb.teenage-girl, imdb.grandfather, imdb.patriarch, imdb.chosen-one, imdb.boat, imdb.girl-crying, imdb.underestimation, imdb.machismo, tmdb.diving, tmdb.swimming-underwater, tmdb.war-dance, tmdb.traditional-dance, imdb.young, imdb.female-warrior, awards.oscar-nominated
Watch Providers: Starz, Kanopy, Hoopla, Starz Roku Premium Channel, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV Channel
Production companies: South Pacific Pictures, Pandora Film, ApolloMedia Distribution, Pandora Filmproduktion, ApolloMedia + 4 more, New Zealand Film Production Fund, New Zealand Film Commission, NZ on Air, Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen