Adapted from Witi Ihimaera's 1985 novel, Whale Rider is a film steeped very much in the past and the present, an intersection between a contemporary Maori story and ancient Maori customs. As a granddaughter of a very proud and elderly grandfather, teen Paikea must make Koro see that his traditional ways must change if their indigenous culture is to adapt and survive. He won't accept that she might be the rightful heir to his traditional chieftain's mantle, because of her gender and Pai just won't give up pursuing what she feels is her birthright and a 'calling' from her ancestors.