Whale Rider is a humble film, a small story with a big heart. It shows Māori culture as part of contemporary New Zealand, specificially in regards to patriarchy and authority. Yet it goes beyond that too. It is a film of grief and resentment, centering on an almost unwanted child having to prove herself. Whale Rider is the sort of cinema worth showing to people of any age, because it presents simple themes and struggles in a very digestible and meaningful way. It has ideas around balancing tradition and modernity, as well as the personal and emotional growth that both adults and children need to learn in order to discover self-worth. Crucially the film's biggest arc belongs to a grandfather…

“There was no gladness when I was born. My twin brother died, and took our mother with him.“

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Revisiting this staple homegrown film and childhood classic was long overdue for me. Watching it again as an adult felt like a completely different experience compared to when I was younger. This time around I was actually able to fully appreciate its deeper themes and better understand why it’s such an important film. Bonus points since it was released during my birth year!

At its heart, it’s a beautiful story about Paikea and her journey to challenge and overcome long held traditions. The film explores the tension between tradition and modernity, and the struggle of maintaining customs in a…

☆"My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the Whale Rider."☆

The first film I'll watch in May for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (some movies will be tangentially-related, or indigenous and not American people, or just featuring these cultures in some significant way) is Independent Spirit Award winner for Best Foreign Film Whale Rider, the 2002 coming-of-age drama shot on location in Whangara, New Zealand. Featuring Maori actors and based on the novel of the same name by Witi Ihimaera, this acclaimed sensitive film has been on my watchlist for a long time.

Keisha Castle-Hughes -- who was for a time the youngest ever Oscar…