Whale Rider
NZ release: 20 September 2003
Parental guidance recommended for younger viewers Rated on: 19 January 2021
What’s it about?
A young Māori girl named Paikea embarks on a journey to convince her grandfather that she is the rightful heir to lead their tribe, against his belief that the role is for men only.
The facts
- Directed by Niki Caro
- Stars Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, Vicky Haughton, Cliff Curtis
- English and te reo Māori
- Runtime: 101 minutes
- Based on the novel The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
Why did it get this rating?
This film was rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about this process here.
Intense scenes
A woman dies while giving birth to a set of twins, one of which dies too. She is shown screaming and crying before becoming unconscious, and her partner is shown hugging her lifeless body afterwards.
Drug use
A bag of marijuana and drug paraphernalia are shown briefly.
Offensive language
The words sh*t and d*ck are both used once.
Further information
Recent featured decisions
He iti te whakarekereke
E whakahokia mai ai ōna whenua, ka whakaae a Shrek ki te whakaora i a Pirihini Fiona, mā Tā Farquaad, te tangata kiriweti ki te mahi pohewa, engari ka taupuhi ia ki te Pirinihi i runga i tana haerenga.
Sexual violence, cruelty and offensive language
While recovering from a stroke in a nursing home, a former judge discovers that one of the residents is terrorising the home with a child's puppet called Jenny Pen.