Whale Rider
Every Cal bonfire rally, the Cal haka is performed. Filled with loud chants and meant to put fear into their upcoming opponent (Stanfurd), we were told it came from the Maori tribe in New Zealand, who did the haka before going into the battle. These New Zealanders are placed front and center in “Whale Rider”, a film about a young girl who wishes to become tribal leader even though her traditions frown upon a woman doing so. Keisha Castle-Hughes plays the role of the girl, Pai, whose mother died at birth along with her twin brother. Her father would be next in line to be tribal leader, but he has no interest in it and has left the country, where he has pursued his artistic talents and married a German woman. Pai feels she would be a very strong leader but her grandfather still sees her as just a girl. Even so, she doesn’t give up and tries to learn the tribe’s ways, hoping she can put them to use later on.

Castle-Hughes is an empowering figure; an innocent girl standing up for what she believed was right in a place where females are already at a disadvantage. Her performance is made even more extraordinary by the fact that she was only twelve when she made the film. And all the while, writer and director Niki Caro, based on the book by Witi Ihimaera, makes sure to keep things as authentic as possible by showcasing the Maori traditions. But in doing so, the movie faces a dilemma. If tradition holds that only males can become chiefs, as grandpa insists, how can Pai succeed? Just like her, she does so in her own way. 3 stars