Forget Lord Of The Rings, this has been the year of Whale Rider. To mark the release of the film on DVD GREG DIXON spoke to the director and key actors.
NIKI CARO, director
On her year
It's been stunning. The most stunning part, of course, was having my baby Tui in July. I feel like the hardest-working girl in show business, but I know I'm not. It taught me that being a mother is the hardest job in the world. It was an extraordinary experience on top of the extraordinary experience of Whale Rider.
On having a baby in her busiest year
I missed all the world premieres. But it's been really good as the film gets more and more successful out there in the world. It's very nice for me to have something even more significant than that to concentrate on.
On the film's worldwide success
I'm heartened by the fact that a tiny story with no significant star power, no director power, from a very tiny place that nobody's heard of, can make an impact purely because it's a great story, it's well made and it's told with a great deal of heart.
On why it has been so successful
The more specific, the more truthful and the more culturally accurate you can be, paradoxically the more universal it becomes. There is a tendency when telling highly specific cultural stories that you dumb them down for an international audience, that's perhaps the Hollywood way of doing things.
On its importance to New Zealand
Maori really took ownership of this film, which is the biggest compliment that the film-makers could get. Beyond that, New Zealanders as a whole, Pakeha New Zealanders, embraced it as theirs. There's an extraordinary feeling of ownership and pride out there and that's just so humbling.
On the feedback
Every week and sometimes daily we will get unsolicited stuff from all around the world from people I will never meet. And they have been so moved by the film that they've tracked down the email address and their correspondence inevitably begins, 'I never do this, but ...' Every time it kills me that these people are sending their very real feelings out into the ether because they've been so moved by this film.
On Hollywood
Of course [I've had offers]. But I don't really have the big Hollywood dream.
On the future
In terms of future work I just want to wait until I find a story that moves me as much as Whale Rider, that I can really have that deep connection with, before I begin the work. That's the only way I think I've got a shot at communicating in the same way.
RAWIRI PARATENE, actor
On how many times he's seen the movie
I've seen it 19 times around the world. I didn't go overseas until I was 35, which is 15 years ago. It's been the biggest year of travel for me. I've done just about all that travel with Keisha as well and that's been a buzz. She's an endearing star. It's been intriguing. I've been around 30 years and I've had to play second fiddle to a 13-year-old girl. There's been interest in me, but wherever we go it's been about Keisha. That's really humbling. But I've learnt a great deal off her. I've learned about being grounded.
On the year
It's been awesome. It's been fantastic to be part of such a successful and such a well-received film. For me personally it's been great, I've got amazing reviews all over the world. The LA Times [review] I'm going to frame.
On the effusive praise from the rest of the world
I'm so not surprised. I hadn't read the book before I was up for the role. But when I read the book I thought, 'woah, that's a beautiful story', Witi [Ihimaera] and it made me cry. When I read the script, my immediate reaction was, 'boy if they get this right, this film is going to be incredible and reach right across the world'. I just knew it was a winner.
On Maori drama
Being involved in creating Maori drama has not been an easy road. The powers-that-be have never been convinced that it could achieve even a broad New Zealand audience. As a young writer in the 70s, I'd be pitching ideas that only had Maori in it, just like Once Were Warriors and Whale Rider. And they would say you have to put some Pakehas in because it's just not going to have an audience. My reply was that if we aim it at a particular audience, it would have a lot wider audience than if we try and dumb down. I was just sent from the office. But Warriors and Whale Rider have proven it so. It's good to get on and think about those eggs who ran our lives back in the 70s who had no vision at all.
On what next
There haven't been a flood of offers, yet. I haven't managed to get an agent in LA yet, I'm still working on that. But I guess I'm sort of getting interest. I've done one more movie this year based on a Marvel Comic and earned more than I earned for Whale Rider.
I went close to getting in an Oliver Stone movie and getting into a Biggles movie. And I've been cast in a British film. But what it has meant is that I haven't had any interest from New Zealand, so there are probably more opportunities for me overseas.
CLIFF CURTIS, actor
On how many premieres he went to
Oh a few, they were all good though. But the real pleasure was presenting a story and a film and discovering talent like Niki and Keisha. There is a real pleasure in introducing a film like this to an audience at home. This is a story that's ours, we've done it and it's for us.
On Whale Rider's overseas success
Gary Fleder, the director of Runaway Jury [a thriller in which Curtis has a small role], came up to me at the premiere of Jury and said, if one more person comes up to me and asks me how great Whale Rider is tonight, I'm going to kick you in the foot. I thought that was very nice of him to tell me that, it was funny.
On the connection with audiences
I thought it would have an international audience, I just didn't think it would be as broad as it was. I knew that there would be an adult, art house audience. I didn't know that kids were going to love it, I wasn't sure on that. But seven-year-old American children — it'll be like Finding Nemo — are going to want to see the DVD of Whale Rider.
On its importance to New Zealand cinema
It confirms our ability to tell good stories well and to find our own stories and do that. The Lord Of The Rings is important, but Whale Rider is equally important. One day Peter Jackson is going to come up with a movie that's one of our stories and he's going to have the resources to do it on the scale of Rings, and Whale Rider has legitimised that Maori stories have a universal appeal.
On Maori stories on film
The reason why the Maori stories have held up is that they couldn't be compromised, otherwise there wouldn't be those stories. Whereas non-Maori stories have the potential to be compromised and to be less culturally specific, like throwing in an American to get broader audience appeal. But we have to be careful with Maori stories and not be exploitative.
There was a rash of violent films after Warriors which were exploitative of that genre. It would be unfortunate if New Zealand film-makers think if we get that [Whale Rider's formula] we'll get overseas investors. That's a danger because you have to approach those stories will real integrity and heart.
KEISHA CASTLE-HUGHES, actor
On how many times she's seen the film
I've seen it 32 times, but I haven't seen it for quite a while. I went to the New Zealand premieres, one in New York and LA, one in London and one in Japan. I had only ever been to, like, Australia before. I'd never been far away, so it was an amazing experience for me.
On walking up the red carpet
It was pretty nerve-wracking. I remember the first time I did it in New Zealand I was really nervous because it felt quite strange. I was walking up the red carpet and everyone was standing around watching, it felt really strange knowing that that many people were just staring at me. I still get really nervous, but it's exciting every single time, it gets better and better. But I still get nervous that I might trip up.
On the year
It's been really busy and a lot of the time it's been really stressful. But because I've had lots of help from the publicity companies, my family and the other cast and crew members, it's been really exciting and everyone's been so supportive. But I've had, like, the best year ever.
On school
I still go to school regularly. When I need to take time off they give me work to take with me on the road. They're really supportive as well.
On the reaction from schoolmates
I've been pretty lucky. I found no one who just wants to be my friend all of a sudden. They all still treat me like I'm a normal kid and I like it like that.
On keeping it real
My family keep me pretty grounded. They won't let things go to my head.
On the reaction
Some of the nicest things have been when people have said it's had an impact on their life. It's pretty amazing to know that you could have helped some people in some way by making such a beautiful film. It's really touching when people say things like that. But I never ever thought about [the reaction]. I just thought we were making a movie. It was like a big deal to me, but I never considered what it would be like after the movie was finished. I didn't realise it was going to be this big.
On the future
At the moment I'm not sure. I just want to go to school and finish my exams. There's a long time to go. I loved making the movie, it's probably the best thing that's happened in my life, but at the same time it was hard work. But I enjoy a challenge.
Herald Feature: Whale Rider
A Whale of a year
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.