Backbencher

The film centered on a twelve year old Maori girl that lived with her grandparents in a small New Zealand village. Her grandfather believed that the girl's twin brother, who died at birth, was meant to be the future chief of his village. Although she enjoyed a close relationship with both grandparents, it was very clear that her grandfather held a great deal of anger over the loss of her brother. This caused the girl to feel as though she should have died instead of him. Needing to find a new chief, the grandfather rounded up all of the first born boys in order to teach them the rituals of their group. Much to her grandfather's dismay, the girl secretly learned the songs, chants and fighting techniques that only the boys were supposed to know.

One day, numerous whales beached themselves and the townspeople tried desperately to save them. The whales were part of their mythology and they considered them to be sacred. Exhausted, they eventually gave up hope and began to leave. When no one was looking, the girl mounted the largest of the whales and told it to save itself and swim back to the ocean. It obeyed her command and the other creatures soon followed. The girl was able to ride the whale for a time but almost drowned. Her grandfather then realized that he had made a terrible mistake. Contrary to custom, the girl was supposed to be chief and not her deceased brother.

I really enjoyed this film. I felt the acting was excellent and the plot was interesting but easy to follow. I wondered if the film accurately portrayed the customs and lifestyles of small town Maori. If it does, I think that the movie provides a much needed visual insight to the Maori culture.