By RUSSELL BAILLIE
Whale Rider feels like more than just another New Zealand movie.
It is certainly a great film, as we've already attested in these pages -TimeOut critics agreed it was the best movie they'd seen in an age and named it the best film of 2002 before its commercial release this month. That reaction has been echoed on the world's film-festival circuit.
Now director-writer Niki Caro's film of Witi Ihimaera's novel - about a girl, her grandfather and Ngati Konohi's legend of Paikea the whale rider - finally comes to a cinema near you, we're predicting it's going to be more than a homegrown hit. It is also a highly accessible film for all ages.
It has the air of a cultural landmark. It has scenes which are likely to cause a national outbreak of sobbing. However, many will emerge from the mutliplex to experience a genuine high about being connected to this part of the world - not something you could always say of past New Zealand film classics.
It deserves to be celebrated and that's why we've dedicated the following pages to some of the people behind it who talk about its making.
Their great work is up on screen from Thursday. Do not miss it.
Herald feature: Whale Rider
Eyes on the prize
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