A young girl confronts the past, changes the present, and determines the future.

Click on the order button below to download this Movie Discussion Guide as a Microsoft Word file. You'll receive a Bible-based guide for personal use or group discussion after the movie. No additional preparation is required.

Overview

Whale Rider for which 13-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes received a Best Actress Oscar nomination, tells the story of Paikea (Pai), an adolescent girl from the New Zealand Maori tribe named after the tribe’s ancestral leader. Born into tragedy, Pai must suppress her inherent leadership traits to appease her tradition-rooted grandfather and her male-dominated community. But Pai’s struggle for identity will test her beliefs, her relationships, and her resolve.

This study will help you discuss the deeper themes of the movie. How does family contribute to an understanding of identity? What does Pai learn about persistence through rejection? What are the advantages and disadvantages of dogmatism? What does the movie say about the sacred versus the profane, and other aspects of worship?

Discussion Guide

    • Movie Summary

    • Discussing the Scenes

—Identity and Family
(Romans 8:16–17, 28; Luke 2:6–7; 2 Corinthians 3:17)

—Persistence and Rejection
(Hebrews 10:36; James 1:12; 1 Timothy 4:16)

—Tradition and Modernity
(Exodus 20:1–17; Mark 7:8; Matthew 5)

—The Sacred and the Profane
(Matthew 26:39; Romans 8:25–28; John 3:16; 14:6; Romans 3:23)

Based On

Whale Rider (Newmarket Films, 2002), directed by Niki Caro, rated PG-13.

Photo © Copyright Newmarket Films

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