Who is Paikea in the Whale Rider?

Who is Paikea in the Whale Rider?

Based on the 1987 novel The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera, the film stars Keisha Castle-Hughes as Kahu Paikea Apirana, a twelve-year-old Māori girl whose ambition is to become the chief of the tribe. Her koro Apirana believes that this is a role reserved for males only.

What is the story behind Whale Rider?

Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.

What does Pai do when her grandfather makes her leave the Maori traditions class?

Pai requests that a chair is left for her grandfather, but he doesn’t turn up. She makes her speech despite her huge disappointment that Koro is not there to see her. She is announced the winner of the speech competition. Paikea’s speech was a personal achievement.

Where was Whale Rider filmed in NZ?

Most of Whale Rider was filmed on location in Whangara, the setting of Witi Ihimaera’s 1987 novel. Ihimaera is linked to the area through his mother. Most of the film’s extras were untrained actors from the Whangara area.

Is Paikea male or female?

Paikea is the name assumed by Kahutia-te-rangi because he was assisted by a whale to survive an attempt on his life by his half-brother Ruatapu.
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What does the name Paikea mean?

According to Māori tradition, Paikea is an ancestor of Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Porou, Māori tribes in the South Island and east coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Paikea is the name assumed by Kahutia-te-rangi because he was assisted by humpback whales to survive an attempt on his life by his half-brother Ruatapu.

Is Moana based on Whale Rider?

The directors of Moana, Ron Clements and John Musker, openly acknowledged that Caro’s Whale Rider inspired them in making Moana and that there are clear thematic correspondences between the two films (Giardina 2016).

What is Paikea wearing in the hospital bed?

10 Pai is wearing the whale tooth in the film’s final sequence, signifying her grandfather’s recognition of her rightful place as the community’s spiritual leader. As he sits by her bed in hospital, waiting for her to regain consciousness, he says, ‘Wise leader, forgive me.

Is Whale Rider based on a true story?

In such movies as Whale Rider, about a 12-year-old Maori girl who dreams of becoming her tribe’s first female chief, and North Country, based on the true story of the first class-action sexual harassment suit brought to trial, by a female miner in Minnesota, Caro explores themes of gender and power.

Did Whale Rider use real whales?

The whales in the movie are a combination of footage of real whales, life size models (some with humans creating movement) and CGI. Keisha Castle-Hughes said the key whale riding scene took place 15-20 miles offshore, and was terrifying.

What tribe is Paikea from?

Paikea is a notable ancestor who originated in Hawaiki according to Māori tradition.

Why is Pai raised by her grandparents?

Character Analysis

Her mother died giving birth, and her twin brother never had a chance. And if that were not bad enough, Paikea (“Pai”) lost her father as well. He left for New Zealand to pursue his art career, leaving Pai behind to be raised by her grandparents and aunts.

What does the Taiaha symbolize in Whale Rider?

Additionally, the taiaha as a symbol of traditional Māori way was shown in the 2002 film, Whale Rider a drama about a young girl growing up with her grandfather and caught between traditional Māori ways and the modern (albeit rural NZ) western-style ideas.

When Pai refuses to sit in the back at school after Koro tells her to?

10. Koro begins his “sacred school of learning” for the firstborn boys in Pai’s generation. He refuses to allow Pai to take part in it. When Pai refuses to sit quietly in the back, Koro demands that she leave.

How would you describe Paikea?

determined, wise, and sensitive. Paikea has an intrinsic connection with right whales, an important symbol for her tribe. She stands up for what she believes even in the face of the adults around her, and isn’t afraid to take risks to do what’s right.

What are the fighting sticks called in Whale Rider?

Karakia – Prayer. Taiaha – Fighting stick. Mau rakau – Stick fighting.

What does the rope symbolize in Whale Rider?

Paikea Apirana
The rope is a symbol in the whale rider because it symbolises the ancestral line of the Maori community that they live in. When the rope is broken it symbolises the community is broken and falling apart. Paikea then fixes the rope and its as if she has rejoined the community again.

What does Nanny decide to hide from Koro?

She hides the fact that Pai found the whale tooth. She says that he’s not ready for the truth yet. What does Pai’s speech at the school program reveal about her feelings toward Koro?

Is Paikea a boy or girl?

What is the whale tooth necklace called in Whale Rider?

reiputa
Koro takes the boys out in a boat, but he bars Hemi from participating. Koro throws his reiputa (or whale- tooth necklace) into the ocean and tells the boys that the one who retrieves it will be the chief.

Does Koro want a grandson or granddaughter?

Koro is Pai’s grandfather. A chief of his people, he follows a traditional way of thinking. He wants a grandson to be chief after him.

What does the bicycle represent in Whale Rider?

Additionally, Whale Rider includes elements of magic realism as a result of its source in Ihimaera’s novel. Both Caro and Al Mansour employ the bicycle as a symbol for liberation. It symbolizes Paikea’s as well as Wadjda’s struggle to assert themselves in their tribal communities, Māori and Saudi respectively.

What does the whale tooth symbolize in Whale Rider?

The whale tooth is a representation of the Maori people who shaped and built their religion and community, as well as being a representation of Paikea and many other traits that would be needed by a chief, many of which, Paikea has.