Backbencher

Whale Rider is a film which highlights the difficulity of Maori people transitioning to the lifestlye of today. Which the culture of the people must adapt to the changing world around them. The tale involves the chieftain of a small clan of maori, his family and the struggle for him to find the next cheftain. Through various lore passed down through oral history the ways in which the cheftain must be selected has very direct and finite selction process. But the one thing in which is extremely dire is that the cheftain must be male, and of direct liniage from the ancient ones. Other wise it will need to be a selection process for the remaining boys. The cheftains grandaughter, whos mother died at her birth as well as her brother, who is intelligent beyond her years realizes these things, and that her grandfather is looking for the next chieftain. Soon he sets up the selection process for the young boys and does not allow for her to join in the "school". Soon though Pai, the granddaughter has her uncle teaching the various skills she needs to become the cheftain. This without the knowledge of her grandfather. He still thinks of her as a problem, and who has brought the problems on the the clan of the maori by her being there. As the story traverese she girl Pai, does everything needed to gain the status of cheftain, as well as showing traits of leadership by the speech she has for she has written for her grandfather at school.
At this point the story turns from being one of simply becoming cheftain but, about how the cheftain needed to be a leader of new sorts. One who could lead the Maori clan into the new life, find some sort of drive, a way for them to become a proud people again. The story became about the challanges of an indigenous people who must have a leader who understood how life was changing them, and how to lead the people to a direction of prosperity.
It was a very good over all video which highlighted the history and cluture of maori, as well as the struggles of integrating into the industrialized world the maori might have today. The video also showed many sences of wild life and nature around New Zealand which offered considerable insight into the climate and nature of the islands of New Zealand.
Very enlightening video.
Dan Hillukka