Based on Maori writer Witi Ihimaera's novel, this 2002 film details a girl's dream of becoming chief of her tribe
In 
the role of "Pai," a young girl whose mother dies at her birth along with her twin ... 
of Maori tribe people is waiting for the sign of a new chief to be born and lead the 
.... novel that became the backbone for the screenplay for the film Whale Rider... [DOC] [TLE] Whale Rider - Film Education [PAR] In a small New Zealand coastal village, Maori claim descent from Paikea, the 
Whale Rider.