Whale Rider

In a small New Zealand coastal village, Maori claim descent from Paikea, the Whale Rider. In every generation for over 1,000 years, a male heir born to the Chief succeeds to the title.

The time is now. The Chief's eldest son, Porourangi, fathers twins - a boy and a girl. But the boy and his mother die in childbirth. The surviving girl is named Pai. Grief-stricken, her father leaves her to be raised by her grandparents. Koro, (the Chief) refuses to acknowledge Pai as the inheritor of the tradition and claims she is of no use to him. But her grandmother, Flowers, sees more than a broken line, she sees a child in desperate need of love.

And Koro learns to love the child. When Pai's father, Porourangi, now a feted international artist, returns home after twelve years, Koro hopes everything is resolved and Porourangi will accept destiny and become his successor. But Porourangi has no intention of becoming Chief. He has moved away from his people both physically and emotionally. After a bitter argument with Koro he leaves, suggesting to Pai that she come with him. She starts the journey but quickly returns, claiming her grandfather needs her.

Koro is blinded by prejudice and even Flowers cannot convince him that Pai is the natural heir. The old Chief is convinced that the tribe's misfortunes began at Pai's birth and calls for his people to bring their 12 year old boys to him for training. He is certain that through a gruelling process of teaching the ancient chants, tribal lore and warrior techniques, the future leader of their tribe will be revealed to him.

Meanwhile, deep within the ocean, a massive herd of whales is responding, drawn towards Pai and their twin destinies. When the whales become stranded on the beach, Koro is sure this signals an apocalyptic end to his tribe. Until one person prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice to save the people. The Whale Rider.

Whale Rider is available on video and DVD around the world in all good DVD outlets. Distributed by Buena Vista International.

South Pacific Pictures, Apollomedia, Pandora Film In Association With The New Zealand Film Production Fund, New Zealand Film Commission and NZ On Air and Sponsored By Filmstiftung Nordrhein - Westfalen Gmbh present Whale Rider with Keisha Castle Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton And Cliff Curtis


WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY NIKI CARO
PRODUCED BY TIM SANDERS, JOHN BARNETT, FRANK HÜBNER
BASED ON THE BOOK "THE WHALE RIDER" BY WITI IHIMAERA
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS BILL GAVIN, LINDA GOLDSTEIN KNOWLTON
CO PRODUCER REINHARD BRUNDIG
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER WITI IHIMAERA
MUSIC LISA GERRARD
EDITOR DAVID COULSON
COSTUME DESIGNER KIRSTY CAMERON
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY LEON NARBEY
PRODUCTION DESIGNER GRANT MAJOR
CASTING DIANA ROWAN

Cast
PAIKEA KEISHA CASTLE-HUGHES
KORO RAWIRI PARATENE
NANNY FLOWERS VICKY HAUGHTON
POROURANGI CLIFF CURTIS
UNCLE RAWIRI GRANT ROA
HEMI MANA TAUMAUNU
SHILO RACHEL HOUSE
WILLIE TAUNGAROA EMILE
DOG TAMMY DAVIS
MAKA MABEL WHAREKAWA-BURT
MIRO RAWINIA CLARKE
MISS PARATA TAHEI SIMPSON
HEMI’S DAD ROIMATA TAIMANA
REHUA ELIZABETH SKEEN
JAKE TYRONE WHITE
ROPATA TAUPURU WHAKATAKA-BRIGHTWELL
WIREMU TENIA MCCLUTCHIE-MITA
BUBBA PETER PATUWAI
PAREKURA RUTENE SPOONER
MAUI RICCARDO DAVIS
HENARE APIATA WHANGAPARITA-APANUI
OBSTETRICIAN JOHN SUMNER
YOUNG RAWIRI SAM WOODS
ACE PURA TANGIRA
ANNE JANE O’KANE
BABY PAIKEA AUMURI PARATA-HAUA

CREW
PRODUCTION MANAGER JANET MCIVER
FIRST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR LIZ TAN
SECOND ASSISTANT DIRECTOR NEIL JAMES
IWI CONSULTANTS HONE TAUMAUNU, CAROL HAAPU
ART DIRECTOR GRACE MOK
GAFFER GRANT MCKINNON
KEY GRIP KEVIN DONOVAN
MAKEUP / HAIR SUPERVISOR DENISE KUM
FOCUS PULLER PAUL SAMUELS
CLAPPER / LOADER RACHEL BEARD
VIDEO ASSISTANT JOHNNY YARELL
VFX / 2ND UNIT:-
CAMERA OPERATOR KEVIN RILEY
VFX / 2ND UNIT FOCUS PULLER GAYSORN THAVAT
2ND UNIT CAMERA ASSISTANT BRENDAN HOLSTER
STEADICAM OPERATOR RHYS DUNCAN
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY SIGMUND SPATH
UNDERWATER CAMERA OPERATOR ARMIE ARMSTRONG
SOUND RECORDIST DAVID MADIGAN
BOOM OPERATOR CORRIN ELILINGFORD
SOUTH PACIFIC HEAD OF PRODUCTION SALLY CAMPBELL
APOLLO MEDIA SUPERVISING PRODUCERS REINHILD GRÄBER, RUDOLF KURZ
PRODUCTION CO-ORDINATORS MOIRA GRANT, LAURA FONG
PRODUCTION SECRETARY KARLA WALLACE
PRODUCTION RUNNERS LYSSA JUDD, ALICE CARSTENSEN, KRISSY STAINTON
PRODUCTION ACCOUNTANT DI MAGEE
ASSISTANT ACCOUNTANT HELEN COPPLESTONE
THIRD ASSISTANT DIRECTOR MICHELLE SOWMAN
LOCATION MANAGER PODGE
UNIT MANAGER PETE MOERENHOUT
UNIT ASSISTANT DOMINIC STONES
2ND UNIT ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ANNA GUNDESON
2ND UNIT MANAGER MIKE TURNER
SOUTH PACIFIC PICTURES:-
LEGAL AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS MANAGER MATT EMERY
APOLLOMEDIA LEGAL AFFAIRS JÖRG WESTERKAMP, THOMAS BECKER
ASSISTANT TO MR WESTERKAMP AND MR BECKER NADINE SCHÄFER
SOUTH PACIFIC PICTURES FINANCIAL CONTROLLER TANIA BETTANY
APOLLOMEDIA FINANCIAL CONTROLLER THORSTEN FELSCHER
ASSISTANT TO MR FELSCHER BIRTHE DANIELSON
SOUTH PACIFIC PICTURES KAUMATUA NGAMARU RAERINO
ASSISTANTS TO JOHN BARNETT REWA HARKER, KARIN REININK
ASSISTANT TO MR HÜBNER SAMIA MAINZ
PANDORA ACCOUNTANT RAINER TEUSNER
PANDORA PRODUCTION COORDINATOR CAMELIJA KARLIC
SCRIPT CONSULTANTS JOAN SCHECKEL, GAVIN STRAWHAN
SCRIPT EDITOR ROBERT SARKIES
CONTINUITY KATH THOMAS
ART DEPARTMENT MANAGER KATE HIGHFIELD
PROPS BUYER NICK WEIR
PROPS STANDBY ANT SUMICH
PROPS ASSISTANT AARON REEDY
ART DEPARTMENT RUNNERS LIA NEILSON, MICHAELA SANDERS
SET DRESSER/ BUYER MEGAN VERTELLE
SET DRESSER JACKIE GILMORE
GREENSMAN JOSH PATTERSON
CASUAL ASSISTANT AARON TOMLINSON
MAORI DESIGN / CARVINGS GUY MOANA
REIPUTA DESIGNER BERNARD MAKOARE
POROURANGI'S SCULPTURE BRETT GRAHAM
STORYBOARD ARTIST MAKA MAKATOA
ANIMAL WRANGLER KAREN HAWKYARD
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER JOHN MILES
LEADING HAND RICHARD SHEATH
CARPENTERS GRAHAM COLLINS, RUSS MUNRO, NEIL WILLIAMSON, JOHN BROCKIE, PETER BURNEY, NICK WALTER
SCENIC ARTIST KERRY DUNN
SET FINISHER BRIAN CAMPBELL
ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNER DEIDRE MCKESSAR
STANDBY WARDROBE JENNI RUSHTON
WARDROBE RUNNER PAUL BOOTH
BEST BOY BRIAN LAIRD
GENERATOR OPERATOR STEVE JOYCE
LIGHTING ASSISTANTS HENARE MATO, JAMES YOUNG
GRIP ASSISTANT JIM ROWE
ADDITIONAL GRIP JOSH CREEKS
REMOTE HEAD OPERATOR BRIAN HARRIS
CASTING ASSISTANTS RIWIA FOX, ROBIN CAMMELL
ADDITIONAL CASTING CHRISTINA ASHER, STUART TURNER, KAREN SYDNEY
CHAPERONE/TUTOR STEPHANIE WILKIN
GISBORNE CHAPERONES MAUDE ISAAC, KATH ALLEN
PAIKEA STAND-IN WAIO PARATA-HAUA
EXTRAS CASTING RIWIA FOX
TAIAHA INSTRUCTOR JOHNNY POI
SWIMMING COACH PAT MERRIFIELD
MAKEUP/HAIR ASSISTANTS JANE O'KANE, BARBIE COPE
MAKEUP TRAINEE KENZIE SAMSON
MARINE ENGINEERS AND PHYSICAL FX FILM EFFECTS, PHIL ADDENBROOKE, DEAN CLARKE, OLIVER GEE
WHALE CONSTRUCTION GLASSHAMMER VISUAL EFFECTS, JUSTIN BUCKINGHAM, BARRY DOWN, JASON JOHNSTON, STEVE YOUNG, STEVE DYSON, TERRY GREEN, GREG NICHOLS, DEAN TAYLOR, JOHN LOTT, STEVE LOWE, DAN BLANCHARD
BOAT COORDINATOR WILLY HEATLEY
SAFETY OFFICER SHANE ARMITAGE
STUNT COORDINATOR MARK HARRIS
UNIT PUBLICIST SIAN CLEMENT
STILLS PHOTOGRAPHER KIRSTY GRIFFIN
CATERERS BONIFANT AND SAXBY
POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR ANNE URBAN
ASSISTANT EDITOR JULIE ALP
EDITING FACILITY CUT COMPANY, COLOGNE
EDITING FACILITY MANAGER GUIDO KRAJEWSKI
FILM LABORATORY (NEW ZEALAND) ATLAB
LABORATORY MANAGER BRUCE MCARTHUR
FILM LABORATORY (GERMANY) PROCINE FILMTECHNIK, NEUSS
COLOR GRADER HANS-JOACHIM BRUB
NEGATIVE CUTTER RENATE DAHMEN
DIGITAL VISUAL EFFECTS PROVIDED BY TVT, THE VISION TEAM DIGITAL POSTPRODUCTION GMBH
VISUAL EFFECT PRODUCERS CHRISTEL BRUNN, MANFRED BÜTTNER
VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR GEORGE MAIHOEFER
INFERNO ARTIST, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR ERICH EDER
DIGITAL COMPOSITING CATERINA SCHIFFERS
POSTPRODUCTION TECHNICAL SUPERVISOR ROBRET PINNOW
DIGITAL RETOUCHING FLORIAN SCHUCK, MARKUS WOLLSCHLÄGER
DIGITAL FX CONSULTANT CHARLES MCCLELLAN
TITLE DESIGN JAMES MOK
TELECINE FACILITY (NEW ZEALAND DIGITAL POST LTD., OKTOBOR
DIGITAL SCANNING AND RECORDING (GERMANY) ARRI DIGITAL
WHALE FOOTAGE GRANADA WILD
ADR SUPERVISOR CHRIS BURT
SOUND SUPERVISOR STEPHAN COLLI
SFX SOUND DESIGN JOSEF STEINBÜCHEL, MIRKO REINHARD, MARKUS WIMMER
ATMOS DESIGN STEPHAN COLLI, ANDRÉ ZIMMERMANN
DIALOGUE EDITOR LUIGI RENSINGHOFF, SVEN NEUMANN
FOLEY ARTIST WILMONT SCHULZE
FOLEY RECORDING TORUS GMBH, KÖLN
MUSIC MIXER SIMON BOWLEY
TECHNICAL MUSIC SUPPORT RICKEY EDWARDS, JACEK TUSHEWSKI
SOUND MIXING FACILITY RUHRSOUND, DORTMUND
RE-RECORDING MIXER STEFAN KORTE
PROJECTION ASSISTANTS MARKUS MÜNZ, JENS KRIEGEL
DOLBY CONSULTANT HUBERT HENLE
MUSIC SUPERVISION MANA MUSIC, CHRIS COUGH
CAMERAS SUPPLIED BY ARRIFLEX, COLOGNE
FILMSTOCK PROVIDED BY KODAK EASTMANCOLOUR
COMPLETION BOND COMPANY FILM FINANCES, ANNI BROWNING
INSURANCE COMPANY MAHONY, TRENDALL, JACK MARTIN TRENDALL
SHORTFALL INSURANCE FILMVISION, MATT LAWFORD, DAVID DANT