Whale Rider (2002)

Keisha Castle-Hughes: Paikea

Photos 

Quotes 

• [first lines] 

  Paikea : In the old days, the land felt a great emptiness. It was waiting. Waiting to be filled up. Waiting for someone to love it. Waiting for a leader.

  [child birth scene] 

  Paikea : And he came on the back of a whale. A man to lead a new people. Our ancestor, Paikea. But now we were waiting for the firstborn of the new generation, for the descendant of the whale rider. For the boy who would be chief.

  Paikea : There was no gladness when I was born. My twin brother died, and took our mother with him.

• Paikea : Maori women have got to stop smoking. We've got to protect our childbearing properties.

  Maka : You'd have to be smoking in a pretty funny place to wreck your childbearing properties.

• Paikea : [from trailer]  A long time ago, my ancestor Paikea came to this place on the back of a whale. Since then, in every generation of my family, the first born son has carried his name and become the leader of our tribe... until now.

• Paikea : I wasn't scared to die.

• [last lines] 

  Paikea : My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs stretching all the way back to the whale rider. I'm not a prophet, but I know that our people will keep going forward, all together, with all of our strength.

• Paikea : Why doesn't he want me?

  Porourangi : He's just looking for something that doesn't exist anymore.

  Paikea : A new leader? They exist.

• Paikea : My name is Paikea Apirana, and I come from a long line of chiefs.

• [about her brother] 

  Paikea : They were waiting for their new leader... but he died.

• Paikea : It's not Koro's fault, that I'm a girl.