Whale Rider

Last night I watched Whale Rider on DVD and I really loved it. It was adapted from a novel about a Maori girl named Paikea in New Zealand whose tribal community is disintegrating due to the encroachment of modern society and the lack of leadership from her harsh grandfather who is a chief without a male heir. Interweaving traditional Maori art and culture, breathtaking views of the New Zealand coast, and a mystical story about grabbing your destiny and never letting go, Whale Rider is a meaningful and beautiful film that deserves viewing.