Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home Culture

WHILE RIDER – A mystical experience

byStaff writers
13 July 2003 - Updated on 25 March 2021
Reading Time: 2 mins read
AA
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Starring: Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene (Koro), Vicky Haughton
Director: Niki Caro
Rated: PG

WHALE Rider has been out in New Zealand and Australia for some time.

It has just become the most successful New Zealand film ever at the Australian box office.

It is such a powerful film that not to review it would be a mistake.

One of the great mythologies of the Whangara people in New Zealand is that their leader Paikea came from Hawaii riding on the back of a whale. Ever since, the first-born male descendants of the Paikea clan have been the chiefs of the tribe. That is until now.

The present chief is Koro (Rawiri Paratene), but his son Porourangi (Cliff Curtis) has rejected the tribal life and is pursuing an artistic career in Germany.

As a younger man Porourangi fathered twins. His wife and baby boy died after child birth. A girl Pai (Keisha Castle-Hughes) is the only direct descendent. Her grandparents have raised her in their tribal lands on the east coast of New Zealand.

As much as he loves his grand-daughter and she loves him, as skilled as she is in learning the traditions, Koro cannot break the patriarchal line and anoint her as the chief. He tries to find a boy worthy of Paikea’s mantle.

Pai knows, however, that she is meant to be the new chief and with that knowledge she sets out to prove it.

On every score Whale Rider is a mystical film. It is at once ancient in its mythology, and contemporary in the way it addresses the development of those ancient ideas.

Related Stories

Future First Nations teachers honoured with Rome scholarship

Marymount College claims historic girls’ rugby league Confraternity title

Sunnybank’s ninth Multicultural Mass unites 16 languages in prayer

It presents the reality of other worlds through a very normal drama in this world ‘ a kid who can’t understand her grandfather.

This is not to say that the film is perfect. It lags in the middle section and as wonderfully unaffected as the acting is from the principals, the same is not universally true from all the players.

There are lighting problems and a few sound issues that distract the attention. But made for just $8.6 million, it has more power and interest than most recent films made for 10 times as much. And nothing takes away from this moving drama which is told with such humour and humanity.

This is the sort of film that Hollywood cannot make. On that score alone it deserves support. But be warned: it’s a mystical film so it might just change your life.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

DADDY DAY CARE

Next Post

School flags peace hopes

Staff writers

Related Posts

Future First Nations teachers honoured with Rome scholarship
Education

Future First Nations teachers honoured with Rome scholarship

2 July 2022
Marymount College claims historic girls’ rugby league Confraternity title
QLD

Marymount College claims historic girls’ rugby league Confraternity title

2 July 2022
Sunnybank’s ninth Multicultural Mass unites 16 languages in prayer
QLD

Sunnybank’s ninth Multicultural Mass unites 16 languages in prayer

1 July 2022
Next Post

School flags peace hopes

Taking a green stand

School tension

Popular News

  • Sunnybank’s ninth Multicultural Mass unites 16 languages in prayer

    Sunnybank’s ninth Multicultural Mass unites 16 languages in prayer

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Archbishop Coleridge unveils new cross at Banyo church

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Fr El Louie Jimenez ordained

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Australian Plenary Council aims to avert Church ‘moment of crisis’

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Fr Josh braves ‘freezing’ June night to raise awareness for homelessness at Vinnies Sleepout

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Future First Nations teachers honoured with Rome scholarship
Education

Future First Nations teachers honoured with Rome scholarship

by Hannah Kennelly
2 July 2022
0

YOUNG Aboriginal and South Sea Islanders education students, Jedda Ellison and Hayden Kubler have been awarded the...

Marymount College claims historic girls’ rugby league Confraternity title

Marymount College claims historic girls’ rugby league Confraternity title

2 July 2022
Sunnybank’s ninth Multicultural Mass unites 16 languages in prayer

Sunnybank’s ninth Multicultural Mass unites 16 languages in prayer

1 July 2022
Evarist D’Souza

Archbishop Coleridge unveils new cross at Banyo church

1 July 2022
Netball Superstar: St John Fisher student Jayden Molo.

St John Fisher College student selected for the Australian Netball U17 Squad

1 July 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping