Under the Sea
What I liked most about Whale Rider was that the film gave me a glimpse into a culture I had previously known absolutely nothing about. Pai is a twelve-year-old Māori girl whose ambition is to become the chief of her tribe. Her grandfather believes that this is a role reserved for males only. Now she has to convince him that she can take on the task just as well as her late twin brother—or perhaps even better. Whale Rider weaves modern-day bleakness together with traditional culture and shows that some positive changes within one’s own community only become possible once you’re willing to fight for them.