Whale Rider
| Whale Rider | |
|---|---|
US theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Niki Caro |
| Screenplay by | Niki Caro |
| Based on | The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera |
| Produced by | John Barnett Frank Hübner Tim Sanders |
| Starring |
|
| Narrated by | Keisha Castle-Hughes |
| Cinematography | Leon Narbey |
| Edited by | David Coulson |
| Music by | Lisa Gerrard |
Production companies | South Pacific Pictures ApolloMedia Pandora Film New Zealand Film Production Fund New Zealand Film Commission NZ On Air Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista International (Australia and New Zealand) Pandora Film (Germany) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
| Countries | New Zealand Germany |
| Languages | English Māori |
| Budget | NZ$$9.2 million (approx. US$3.5 million) |
| Box office | $41.4 million |
Whale Rider is a 2002 New Zealand 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 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 the youngest nominee for the Academy Award for Best Actress, at age 13. The film earned $41.4 million on a 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.