| A contemporary story of love, rejection, and triumph as a young Maori girl fights to fulfill a destiny her grandfather refuses to recognize. | |
| Release Date: | Jan 30, 2003 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Niki Caro |
| Writer: | Niki Caro, Witi Ihimaera |
| Genres: | Family, Drama |
| Keywords | diving, ocean, loss of loved one, tradition, grandparent grandchild relationship, becoming an adult, empowerment, new zealand, maori tradition, chief, modern society, whale, patriarch, stick fighting, canoe, patriarchy, magic realism, woman director, swimming underwater, war dance, traditional dance |
| Production Companies | Pandora Film, New Zealand Film Commission, NZ on Air, Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, South Pacific Pictures, New Zealand Film Production Fund, ApolloMedia |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $41,400,000
Budget: $8,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Aug 04, 2025 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Keisha Castle-Hughes | Paikea Apirana |
| Rawiri Paratene | Koro |
| Vicky Haughton | Nanny Flowers |
| Cliff Curtis | Porourangi |
| Grant Roa | Uncle Rawiri |
| Mana Taumaunu | Hemi |
| Rachel House | Shilo |
| Taungaroa Emile | Willie |
| Tammy Davis | Dog |
| Mabel Wharekawa | Maka |
| Rawinia Clarke | Miro |
| Tahei Simpson | Miss Parata |
| Roi Taimana | Hemi's Dad |
| Elizabeth Skeen | Rehua |
| Rutene Spooner | Parekura |
| John Sumner | Obstetrician |
| Jane O'Kane | Anne |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Niki Caro | Screenplay, Director |
| Lisa Gerrard | Original Music Composer |
| David Coulson | Editor |
| Denise Kum | Makeup Supervisor |
| Joan Scheckel | Script Consultant |
| Witi Ihimaera | Author |
| Kirsty Cameron | Costume Design |
| Sigmund Spath | Underwater Director of Photography |
| Gavin Strawhan | Script Consultant |
| Stuart Turner | Casting |
| James Mok | Title Designer |
| Mirko Reinhard | Sound Designer |
| Stefan Korte | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Leon Narbey | Director of Photography |
| Diana Rowan | Casting |
| David Madigan | Sound Recordist |
| Riwia Fox | Casting Assistant |
| Mark Harris | Stunt Coordinator |
| Stephan Colli | Sound Designer |
| André Zimmermann | Sound Designer |
| George Maihoefer | Visual Effects Supervisor |
| Josef Steinbüchel | Sound Designer |
| Wilmont Schulze | Foley Artist |
| Christina Asher | Casting |
| Grant Major | Production Design |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Frank Hübner | Producer |
| Linda Goldstein Knowlton | Executive Producer |
| John Barnett | Producer |
| Witi Ihimaera | Associate Producer |
| Tim Sanders | Producer |
| Reinhard Brundig | Co-Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 20 | 42 | 14 |
| 2024 | 5 | 20 | 33 | 13 |
| 2024 | 6 | 19 | 29 | 11 |
| 2024 | 7 | 17 | 29 | 11 |
| 2024 | 8 | 18 | 30 | 11 |
| 2024 | 9 | 13 | 23 | 8 |
| 2024 | 10 | 14 | 28 | 7 |
| 2024 | 11 | 14 | 23 | 8 |
| 2024 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 8 |
| 2025 | 1 | 12 | 15 | 8 |
| 2025 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 3 | 34 | 0 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 949 | 949 |