Editing Whale Rider

{{short description|2002 film by Niki Caro}}
{{about|the film|the novel|The Whale Rider{{!}}''The Whale Rider''}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=November 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Whale Rider
| image          = Whale Rider movie poster.jpg
| alt            = 
| caption        = US theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Niki Caro]]
| screenplay     = Niki Caro
| producer       = John Barnett<br />[[Frank Hübner]]<br />[[Tim Sanders (filmmaker)|Tim Sanders]]
| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[The Whale Rider]]''|[[Witi Ihimaera]]}}
| starring       = {{ubl|[[Keisha Castle-Hughes]]|[[Rawiri Paratene]]|Vicky Haughton|[[Cliff Curtis]]}}
| narrator       = Keisha Castle-Hughes
| music          = [[Lisa Gerrard]]
| cinematography = [[Leon Narbey]]
| editing        = David Coulson
| studio         = [[South Pacific Pictures]]<br />ApolloMedia<br />[[Pandora Film]]<br />New Zealand Film Production Fund<br />[[New Zealand Film Commission]]<br />[[NZ On Air]]<br />Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen
| distributor    = [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures#International distribution|Buena Vista International]] (Australia and New Zealand)<ref>{{cite web|title=New box office high for New Zealand|website=[[Screen Daily]]|first=Sandy|last=George|date=12 February 2003|access-date=3 May 2025|url=https://www.screendaily.com/new-box-office-high-for-new-zealand/4012224.article}}</ref><br />Pandora Film (Germany)
| released       = {{Film date|df=y|2002|09|11|[[Toronto International Film Festival|Toronto]]|2003|01|30|New Zealand|2003|07|25|Germany}}
| runtime        = 101 minutes <!-- Theatrical runtime: 101:25 --><ref>{{cite web|title=''WHALE RIDER'' (PG)|url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/AFF182651/|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=20 February 2003|access-date=15 January 2012|archive-date=24 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924173337/https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/whale-rider-film|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| country        = New Zealand<br />Germany
| language       = English<br />Māori
| budget         = [[New Zealand dollar|NZ$]]$9.2 million<ref name="nzfc"/><br />(approx. US$3.5 million)<ref name="mojo">{{mojo title|whalerider|Whale Rider}}</ref>
| gross          = $41.4 million<ref name="mojo"/>
}}
'''''Whale Rider''''' is a 2002 New Zealand [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] written and directed by [[Niki Caro]]. Based on the 1987 novel ''[[The Whale Rider]]'' by [[Witi Ihimaera]], the film stars [[Keisha Castle-Hughes]] as Kahu Paikea Apirana, a twelve-year-old [[Māori people|Māori]] girl whose ambition is to become the chief of the tribe. Her grandfather believes that this is a role reserved for males only.

The film was a coproduction between New Zealand and Germany. It was shot on location in [[Whangara]], the setting of the novel. The world premiere was on 9 September 2002, at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]]. The film received critical acclaim upon its release. At the time, [[Keisha Castle-Hughes]] became [[List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees#Best Actress in a Leading Role|the youngest nominee]] for the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]], at age 13. The film earned $41.4 million<ref name="mojo"/> on a [[New Zealand dollar|NZ$]]9,235,000 budget. In 2005, the film was named on the BFI ''List of the 50 Films You Should See By the Age of 14''.

==Plot==
The film's plot follows the story of Paikea Apirana. The village leader should be the first-born son, a direct [[patrilineal]] descendant of [[Paikea]], the Whale Rider, he who rode on top of a [[whale]] (''Tohorā'')<ref name="TeAra" /><ref name=Voyage /> from [[Hawaiki]]. Pai is originally born a twin, but her twin brother and her mother died during childbirth. Pai is female and so technically cannot inherit the leadership. While her grandfather, Koro, later forms an affectionate bond with his granddaughter, carrying her to school every day on his bicycle, he also condemns her and blames her for conflicts within the tribe.

After the death of his wife and despite overwhelming pressure from Koro, Pai's father refuses to assume traditional leadership or finish the [[waka (canoe)|waka]] that he had started building for the baby son; instead, he moves to Germany to pursue a career as an artist. At one point, Paikea decides to live with her father because her grandfather says he doesn't want her. However, as they are driving away, she finds that she cannot bear to leave the sea as the whale seems to be calling her back. Pai tells her father to return her home.

Koro leads a cultural school for the village's first-born boys, hoping to find a new leader. He teaches the boys to use a [[taiaha]] ([[fighting stick]]), which is traditionally reserved for males. Pai is interested in the lessons, but is discouraged and scolded by Koro for doing so. Pai feels that she can become the leader (although no woman has ever done so) and is determined to succeed. Her grandmother, Nanny, tells Pai that her second son, Pai's uncle, had won a taiaha tournament in his youth while he was still slim and so Pai secretly learns from him. She also secretly follows Koro's lessons. One of the students, Hemi, is also sympathetic towards her.

Koro is enraged when he finds out, particularly when she wins a taiaha fight against Hemi. Koro is devastated when none of the boys succeeds at the traditional task of recovering the rei puta (whale tooth) that he threw into the ocean, the mission that would prove one of them worthy of becoming leader. With the loss of the rei puta, Koro in despair calls out the ancient ones, the whales. In an attempt to help, Pai also calls out to them and they hear her call.

One day Pai, her uncle, her uncle's girlfriend Shilo, and others take the boat to where Koro flung the rei puta into the sea. Pai confidently declares she'll find it and dives into the water. She finds the rei puta, which means that she is the rightful leader. Nanny does not think Koro is ready to accept this and does not tell him. Pai, in an attempt to bridge the rift that has formed, invites Koro to be her guest of honour at a concert of Māori chants that her school is putting on. Unknown to all, she had won an interschool speech contest with a touching dedication to Koro and the traditions of the village. However, Koro was late, and as he was walking to the school, he notices that numerous [[southern right whale]]s - ''tohorā''{{refn|"Tohorā" is also the general term for [[whale]]s in [[Māori language]] while "[[Paikea]]" also stands for [[humpback whale]]s.<ref name="TeAra">{{Cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/te-whanau-puha-whales/page-1 |title=Whales in Māori tradition |website=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |publisher=New Zealand Government |access-date=2024-12-04}}</ref><ref name=Voyage>{{Cite web|url=https://tohoravoyages.ac.nz/history-timeline/ |title=A History of Tohorā |website=Tohorā Voyages |access-date=2024-12-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://teara.govt.nz/en/whales/page-3 |title=Southern right whales |website=[[Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand]] |publisher=New Zealand Government |access-date=2024-12-04}}</ref>|group="note"}} are [[Beached whale|beached]] near Pai's home.

The entire village attempts to coax and drag them back into the water, but all efforts prove unsuccessful, and even a tractor does not help. Koro sees that as a sign of his failure and despairs further. He admonishes Pai against touching the largest whale because she has "done enough" damage with her presumption.

When Koro walks away, Pai climbs onto the back of the largest whale{{refn|Being Traditionally said to belong to the legendary Paikea.|group="note"}} on the beach and coaxes it to re-enter the ocean. The whale leads the entire pod back into the sea; Pai submerges completely underwater before being thrown off the whale's back. Fearing Pai is lost, Nanny reveals to Koro that his granddaughter found the rei puta, and Koro realises the error of his ways. When Pai is found and brought to the hospital, Koro declares her the leader and asks for her forgiveness.

The film ends with Pai's father, grandparents, and uncle coming together to celebrate her status as the next leader, as the finished waka is hauled into the sea for its maiden voyage. In voiceover, Pai declares, "My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the Whale Rider. I'm not a prophet, but I know that our people will keep going forward, all together, with all of our strength."

==Cast==
{{div col}}
* [[Keisha Castle-Hughes]] as Paikea Apirana
* [[Rawiri Paratene]] as Koro
* [[Vicky Haughton]] as Nanny Flowers
* [[Cliff Curtis]] as Porourangi
* [[Grant Roa]] as Uncle Rawiri
* [[Mana Taumaunu]] as Hemi
* [[Rachel House (actress)|Rachel House]] as Shilo
* Taungaroa Emile as Willie
* [[Tammy Davis]] as Dog
* Mabel Wharekawa as Maka (as Mabel Wharekawa-Burt)
* Rawinia Clarke as Miro
* Tahei Simpson as Miss Parata
* Roi Taimana as Hemi's Dad (as Roimata Taimana)
* Elizabeth Skeen as Rehua
* Tyronne White as Jake (as Tyrone White)
* Taupua Whakataka-Brightwell as Ropata
* Tenia McClutchie-Mita as Wiremu
* Peter Patuwai as Bubba
* Rutene Spooner as Parekura
* Riccardo Davis as Maui
* Apiata Whangaparita-Apanui as Henare
* John Sumner as Obstetrician
* Sam Woods as Young Rawiri
* Pura Tangira as Ace
* Jane O'Kane as Anne
* Aumuri Parata-Haua as Baby Paikea
{{div col end}}

==Production==
[[File:Whangara panorama.jpg|thumb|right|The community of [[Whangara]], where the film is set]]
The film had budget of NZ$9,235,000.<ref name="nzfc">{{cite press release |title = Film Fund 1 Interim Report |url = http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/getattachment/ca1ca4b3-ec45-4bc9-bbd2-fab47679da78/Film_Fund_1_Interim_Report_(1).aspx?disposition=attachment |publisher = [[New Zealand Film Commission]] |date = 18 May 2009 |access-date = 5 July 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100602015536/http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/getattachment/ca1ca4b3-ec45-4bc9-bbd2-fab47679da78/Film_Fund_1_Interim_Report_(1).aspx?disposition=attachment |archive-date = 2 June 2010 |url-status = dead}}<!-- To open archive URL file download, file extension must be changed to .pdf --></ref> It received $2.5 million from the New Zealand Film Production Fund.<ref name="nzfc"/> Additional financing came from ApolloMedia, Filmstiftung NRW, the [[New Zealand Film Commission]] and [[New Zealand On Air|NZ On Air]].<ref name="tor">{{cite press release |title = Whale Rider To Debut in Toronto |url = http://www.whaleriderthemovie.co.nz/articles/press2.html |publisher = [[South Pacific Pictures]] |date = 5 July 2010 |access-date = 5 July 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100603172336/http://www.whaleriderthemovie.co.nz/articles/press2.html |archive-date = 3 June 2010 |url-status = dead}}</ref> Casting director Diana Rowan visited numerous schools to find an actress to play Pai. 10,000 children were auditioned before narrowing it down to 12. Castle-Hughes impressed Caro in the resulting [[Acting workshop|workshop]] and was cast as Pai.<ref name="prod">{{cite press release |title = Production notes |url = http://www.whaleriderthemovie.co.nz/html/themovie_prodnotes.html |publisher = [[South Pacific Pictures]] |access-date = 5 July 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100526144224/http://www.whaleriderthemovie.co.nz/html/themovie_prodnotes.html |archive-date = 26 May 2010 |url-status = dead}}</ref> 

The film was shot in [[Whangara]]{{refn|A small town in the [[Gisborne District]].|group="note"}}, and in [[Auckland]].<ref>{{cite press release |title = Technicals |url = http://www.whaleriderthemovie.co.nz/html/themovie_technicals.html |publisher = [[South Pacific Pictures]] |access-date = 5 July 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100526153826/http://www.whaleriderthemovie.co.nz/html/themovie_technicals.html |archive-date = 26 May 2010 |url-status = dead}}</ref> Producer John Barnett said "This novel was set in Whangara and it would almost have been heresy to shoot anywhere else. There are very physical things that are described in the book – the sweep of the bay, the island that looks like a whale, the meeting houses, the number of houses that are present and of course, the people whose legend we were telling.{{nbsp}}... If we'd gone somewhere else and tried to manufacture the surroundings and the ambience, then I think it would have been noticeable in the picture."<ref name="location">{{cite press release |title = Notes about the location |url = http://www.whaleriderthemovie.co.nz/html/location_notes.html |publisher = [[South Pacific Pictures]] |access-date = 5 July 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100526151220/http://www.whaleriderthemovie.co.nz/html/location_notes.html |archive-date = 26 May 2010 |url-status = dead}}</ref> 

The [[Beached whale|whale beaching]] was depicted using full-scale models created by Auckland-based Glasshammer Visual Effects.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Glasshammer visual effects production photos|url=http://www.glasshammerfx.com/archives-whalerider.htm|access-date=23 January 2012|archive-date=7 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207172759/http://www.glasshammerfx.com/archives-whalerider.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> The {{convert|60|ft|abbr=on}}-long [[waka (canoe)|waka]] seen at the end of the film was made in two-halves in Auckland before being transported to Whangara. The waka was given to the Whangara community after filming concluded.<ref name="prod"/>

==Release==

=== Premiere ===
''Whale Rider'' premiered at the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] in 2002.

===Theatrical release===
''Whale Rider'' was theatrically released in 2003 in New Zealand and Germany.
The film had a limited release in the USA on 6 June 2003 and then expanded on 29 August that same year.

===Home media===
''Whale Rider'' was released on DVD and VHS on 28 October 2003 by [[Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment]].

[[Shout! Factory]] released a 15th anniversary Blu-ray of ''Whale Rider'' on their Shout! Select imprint on 22 August 2017.

==Reception==

===Critical response===
The film received critical acclaim and Castle-Hughes's performance won rave reviews. Based on 155 reviews collected by [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an overall approval rating from critics of 91%, with an average score of 7.77 as of October 2020. The website's critical consensus states, "An empowering and uplifting movie, with a wonderful performance by Castle-Hughes".<ref>{{cite web |title = Whale Rider (2003) |url = http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/whale_rider/ |work = [[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date = 6 June 2012 |archive-date = 29 June 2012 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120629202930/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/whale_rider/ |url-status = live }}</ref> By comparison, [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[Normalization (statistics)|normalized]] rating out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 79, based on 31 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |title = Whale Rider reviews |url = http://www.metacritic.com/movie/whale-rider |work = [[Metacritic]] |access-date = 4 July 2010 |archive-date = 9 June 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180609090317/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/whale-rider |url-status = live }}</ref> [[Margaret Pomeranz]] and [[David Stratton]] of ''[[The Movie Show]]'' both gave the film four out of five stars. Pomeranz said "Niki Caro has directed this uplifting story with great sensitivity, eliciting affecting performances from a sterling cast, and a wonderful one from newcomer Keisha Castle-Hughes."<ref>{{cite news |title = Review: Whale Rider |first1 = Margaret |last1 = Pomeranz |author-link1 = Margaret Pomeranz |first2 = David |last2 = Stratton |author-link2 = David Stratton |url = http://www.sbs.com.au/movieshow/reviews.php3?id=1114 |work = [[The Movie Show]] |publisher = [[Special Broadcasting Service]] |year = 2003 |access-date =5 July 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040411225654/http://www.sbs.com.au/movieshow/reviews.php3?id=1114 |archive-date = 11 April 2004 }}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film four out of four stars and said, "The genius of the movie is the way it sidesteps all of the obvious cliches of the underlying story and makes itself fresh, observant, tough and genuinely moving." He said of Castle-Hughes: "This is a movie star."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=2003-06-20 |title=Whale Rider |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/whale-rider-2003 |url-status=live |access-date=2022-06-09 |website=[[RogerEbert.com]] |language=en |archive-date=9 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609142716/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/whale-rider-2003 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title = Whale Rider review |first = Roger |last = Ebert |author-link = Roger Ebert |url = http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030620/REVIEWS/306200305/1023 |newspaper = [[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date = 20 June 2003 |access-date = 5 July 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100707001354/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030620/REVIEWS/306200305/1023 |archive-date = 7 July 2010 |url-status = dead}}</ref> Ebert later went on to name it as one of the ten best films of 2003.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ebert's Top Movies of 2003|url=http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/best-10-movies-of-2003|work=Chicago Sun-Times|author=Ebert, Roger|access-date=30 January 2014|archive-date=30 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200330170852/https://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/best-10-movies-of-2003|url-status=live}}</ref> The ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''{{'}}s [[Kenneth Turan]] praised Caro for her "willingness to let this story tell itself in its own time and the ability to create emotion that is intense without being cloying or dishonest."<ref>{{cite news |title = 'Whale Rider' movie review |first = Kenneth |last = Turan |author-link = Kenneth Turan |url = http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-turan6jun06,0,1835080.story |newspaper = [[Los Angeles Times]] |date = 6 June 2003 |access-date = 5 July 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100521005751/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-et-turan6jun06,0,1835080.story |archive-date = 21 May 2010 |url-status = dead}}</ref> Claudia Puig of ''[[USA Today]]'' gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars and praised Castle-Hughes' acting, saying "so effectively does she convey her pained confusion through subtle vocal cues, tentative stance and expressive dark eyes."<ref>{{cite news |title = Haunting 'Whale Rider' revisits a timeless legend |first = Claudia |last = Puig |url = https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2003-06-05-whale_x.htm |newspaper = [[USA Today]] |date = 6 June 2010 |access-date = 4 July 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081013134901/http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2003-06-05-whale_x.htm |archive-date = 13 October 2008 |url-status = dead}}</ref>

The film has also been discussed and praised widely within academia. Anthropologist A. Asbjørn Jøn discussed a range of Māori tribal traditions that resonate within the film, while noting links between the release of ''Whale Rider'' and increases in both New Zealand's whale watching tourism industry and conservation efforts.<ref>A. Asbjørn Jøn,'[https://www.academia.edu/19878568/The_whale_road_Transitioning_from_spiritual_links_to_whaling_to_whale_watching_in_Aotearoa_New_Zealand The Whale Road: Transitioning from Spiritual Links, to Whaling, to Whale Watching in Aotearoa New Zealand] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105145817/https://www.academia.edu/19878568/The_whale_road_Transitioning_from_spiritual_links_to_whaling_to_whale_watching_in_Aotearoa_New_Zealand |date=5 November 2019 }}', ''Australian Folklore: A Yearly Journal in Folklore Studies'', 29 (2014), pp.87–116</ref>

===Box office===
''Whale Rider'' grossed US$41 million worldwide.<ref name="mojo"/>

===Awards===
The film won a number of international film-festival awards, including:
* the [[Toronto International Film Festival]]'s AGF Peoples Choice award in September 2002
* the World Cinema Audience award at the January 2003 [[Sundance Film Festival]] in the United States<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Zealand Film "Whale Rider" is Surprise Winner of the Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Audience Award |url=https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/549232 |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=Reuters Archive Licensing |language=en |archive-date=9 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009022113/https://reuters.screenocean.com/record/549232 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* the Canal Plus Award at the January 2003 [[Rotterdam Film Festival]].

At the age of 13, [[Keisha Castle-Hughes]] was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Actress]] for her performance, becoming the youngest actress ever nominated for the award at that time (breaking [[Isabelle Adjani]]'s record at the age of 20). She held the record until 2012 when [[Quvenzhané Wallis]] (at the age of 9) was nominated for that category for the film ''[[Beasts of the Southern Wild]]''.

[[76th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]:
* Best Actress (Keisha Castle-Hughes, lost to [[Charlize Theron]] for ''[[Monster (2003 film)|Monster]]'') 
[[Chicago Film Critics Association]]:
* Best Actress (Keisha Castle-Hughes, lost to [[Charlize Theron]] for ''[[Monster (2003 film)|Monster]]'') 
* Most Promising Filmmaker (Niki Caro, lost to [[Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini]] for ''[[American Splendor (film)|American Splendor]]'')
* Most Promising Performer (Keisha Castle-Hughes, '''winner''')
[[Image Awards]]:
* Best Actress (Keisha Castle-Hughes, lost to [[Queen Latifah]] for ''[[Bringing Down the House (film)|Bringing Down the House]]'')
* Best Film (lost to ''[[The Fighting Temptations]]'')
[[Independent Spirit Awards]]:
* Best Foreign Film ('''winner''')<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 29, 2004 |title='Lost' finds fans at indie awards |url=https://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/29/spirit.awards.reut/index.html |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=CNN.com |archive-date=9 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009022111/https://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/29/spirit.awards.reut/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[2003 New Zealand Film Awards|New Zealand Film Awards]]:
* Best Film
* Best Director (Niki Caro)
* Best Actress (Keisha Castle-Hughes)
* Best Supporting Actor (Cliff Curtis)
* Best Supporting Actress (Vicky Haughton)
* Best Juvenile Performer (Mana Taumanu)
* Best Screenplay (Niki Caro)
* Best Original Score (Lisa Gerrard)
* Best Costume Design (Kirsty Cameron)
[[Satellite Awards]] 
* Best Art Direction (lost to ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'')
* Best Director (Niki Caro, lost to [[Jim Sheridan]] for ''[[In America (film)|In America]]'')
* Best Film – Drama (lost to ''[[In America (film)|In America]]'')
* Best Screenplay – Adapted (Niki Caro, lost to [[Brian Helgeland]] for ''[[Mystic River (film)|Mystic River]]'')
[[Screen Actors Guild]]:
* Best Supporting Actress (Keisha Castle-Hughes, lost to [[Renée Zellweger]] for ''[[Cold Mountain (film)|Cold Mountain]]'')
[[Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association]]:
* Best Actress (Keisha Castle-Hughes, lost to [[Naomi Watts]] for ''[[21 Grams]]'')

==Legacy==
''Whale Rider'' has been pointed to have presumably influenced [[Walt Disney Animation Studios]]' animated film ''[[Moana (2016 film)|Moana]]'' which also involved [[Rachel House]] as a voice actress.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Belinda Du Plooy |date=2019-12-31 |url=https://unisapressjournals.co.za/index.php/GQ/article/view/6993 |title=Sheroes of the Sea: A Comparative Reading of the Girl-Centred Films Moana and Whale Rider |website=Unisa Press Journals |publisher= |access-date=2024-11-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=Kyle Lee |date=2019-03-20 |url=http://www.boxofficeprophets.com/column/index.cfm?columnID=19753 |title=Hidden Gems: Whale Rider |website=Box Office Prophets |publisher= |access-date=2024-11-30}}</ref> [[Niki Caro]] later directed the 2020 Disney film ''[[Mulan (2020 film)|Mulan]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Kristen Grote |date=2020-09-12 |url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/11/21430668/watch-whale-rider-niki-caro-mulan-director-disney-princess-movie |title=Whale Rider is the best princess movie Disney never made |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |publisher= |access-date=2024-11-30}}</ref>

==Documentaries==
New Zealand filmmaker [[Jonathan Brough]] made the documentary film ''Riding the Wave: The Whale Rider Story'', as well as short documentary clips about ''Whale Rider'', to accompany the DVD.<ref name=nzosbio>{{cite web | title=Jonathan Brough | website=NZ On Screen | date=15 October 2021 | url=https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/jonathan-brough/biography | access-date=17 July 2022 | archive-date=17 July 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220717065455/https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/jonathan-brough/biography | url-status=live }}</ref>

==Soundtrack==
The film contains music by [[Lisa Gerrard]], released on the album [[Whalerider (soundtrack)|''Whalerider'']] on 7 July 2003.

Other songs heard in the film include:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Whale Rider (2002) Soundtrack |url=https://ringostrack.com/en/movie/whale-rider/55003 |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=RingosTrack |language=en |archive-date=9 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221009022113/https://ringostrack.com/en/movie/whale-rider/55003 |url-status=live }}</ref>

* Bar One (International Observer) Loaded Sounds – [[International Observer]] 
* Kaikoura Dub – [[Pitch Black (band)|Pitch Black]]
* U Want Beef – [[Deceptikonz]] 
* Voice / Percussion Loop – [[Hirini Melbourne]] and [[Richard Nunns]] from Te Ku Te Whe 
* Jast Passing Through – Nick Theobald

==Notes==
{{reflist|group="note"}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Portal|New Zealand|Film}}
* {{official website|http://www.whaleriderthemovie.co.nz/}}
* {{IMDb title|0298228|Whale Rider}}
* {{mojo title|whalerider|Whale Rider}}
* {{rotten-tomatoes|whale_rider|Whale Rider}}
* {{Metacritic film|title=Whale Rider}}

{{Niki Caro}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for ''Whale Rider''
| list =
{{Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film}}
{{TIFF People's Choice Award}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whale Rider, The}}
[[Category:2000s New Zealand films]]
[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:APRA Award winners]]
[[Category:English-language German films]]
[[Category:German coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:German independent films]]
[[Category:German teen drama films]]
[[Category:Films set underwater]]
[[Category:Films about grandparent–grandchild relationships]]
[[Category:Films about whales]]
[[Category:Films based on New Zealand novels]]
[[Category:Films directed by Niki Caro]]
[[Category:Films set in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Films shot in New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand independent films]]
[[Category:Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film winners]]
[[Category:Toronto International Film Festival People's Choice Award winners]]
[[Category:Māori-language films]]
[[Category:Sundance Film Festival award–winning films]]
[[Category:2002 independent films]]
[[Category:New Zealand coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:2000s teen drama films]]
[[Category:2002 drama films]]
[[Category:Films about Māori people]]
[[Category:2000s feminist films]]
[[Category:Films produced by Tim Sanders (filmmaker)]]
[[Category:2000s German films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Lisa Gerrard]]