Niki Caro

What is tradition? Tradition is the factor that holds up cultures, yet some traditions can be negative in the sense that they are not “up to date” with modern beliefs such as gender equality. Tradition plays a huge role in the novella, The Pearl, which is about a lucky but poor family who finds a magical pearl, by John Steinbeck, and the film, Whale Rider, directed by Niki Caro, which is about a young, headstrong girl who struggles in a patriarchal tribe. In both, tradition is mostly a good thing, but the negativity can be easily sighted. Most traditions, like the ones in Steinbeck’s book and in Niki Caro’s production, are positive. In The Pearl, the native Mexicans of La Paz have a positive tradition of making songs for everything they…

In the film Whale Rider the director Niki Caro shows how the cultural traditions can unite its people and create a sense of unity between the Maori people. The Maori people are a native culture that have been home to New Zealand for over three thousand years. They have a story that has been passed down generation after generation which is the story of Paikea. Paikea was a ancestor that left his homeland Hawaiki on the back of a whale. The filmmaker uses camera, sound and lighting techniques to…

In the film “Whale Rider” directed by Niki Caro, in a small town in New Zealand called Whangara a innocent young girl called Paikea is born and she is everything Koro didn’t want in the future chief/leader. Throughout the film she struggles to try to become the leader causing a heap of conflict. An important idea shown to us throughout the film is the idea of the role of men and women . A scene where this idea is shown in the film is when Paikea is not allowed to sit in the front row with the…

The video” I luh ya Papi” by Jennifer Lopez is about J Lopez who’s is getting different suggestions for her new video that she needs to shoot. This music video is different from the music videos that we habitually see in the music industry. This music video is different and has a powerful message for feminist audience.This video “I luh ya Papi” by J. Lopez is likely to successfully reach a feminist audience because Jennifer Lopez reverses the objection between the two gender which is usually…

Analysis and Evaluation: ‘Noni the pony goes to the beach’ is a beautifully written and illustrated rhyming story for young children by Alison Lester. Noni is a happy, funny and friendly pony who loves to go to the beach with his best friends Coco the cat, Dave the dog and the cows from next door. Noni enjoyed the day by sliding down the sand dunes, splashing the waves, scattering seagulls and building a sand boat with her friends. Noni rescued poor Dave, who swam too far out to see a whale…

Niki Caro’s 2002 film, “Whale Rider” could captivate any audience. Not only was it a film about a young girl dreaming of being a chief, but set in New Zealand, it showed Maori culture and traditions to the rest of the world. With Keisha Castle-Hughes making her film debut as Paikea and Cliff Curtis returning to the screen as her father, “Whale Rider” launched the careers of several actors with it’s story of the determination and courage of a young girl. Paikea, the most recent descendent of…

his wife began to help a few of the besieged people. When the situation "on the other side of the wall" became more dangerous, Dr. Zabinski, with exceptional modesty and without any self-interest, occupied himself with the fates of his prewar Jewish suppliers of milk and vegetables, and whatever was necessary for the zoo. He occupied himself with the fates of different acquaintances as well as strangers who needed his help. He helped them go over to the Aryan side, provided them with…

I have chosen to explore the theme discrimination against people by how they are treated in society by their identity. This theme is evidence in a novel, The Pearl by John Steinbeck, also in the films Whale Rider by Niki Caro, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by Mark Herman and the song I Am Not My Hair, by India.Arie ft Akon. In the film Whale Rider by Niki Caro, a 12-year-old girl named Pai, who was born in a tribe where the first born of a male son is to lead the tribe. Right from the moment…

Disruptions to one’s connection to culture is a prominent topic in today’s society and culture is an important feature in many people’s lives. Whale Rider directed by Niki Caro and Stolen Girl by Trina Saffioti and Norma MacDonald displaying this common theme in their respective indigenous contexts. Both texts explore disruptions to one’s connection to culture differently, with whale rider overcoming intercommunity development in relation to gender and stolen girl commenting on the stolen…

Having someone to count on is fundamental to our survival. But what happens when that person is harsh to us or even mean? Does our mentor really wants to teach us a lesson or is it just nonsense? Actually, this particular person might teach us some of the most memorable and important life lessons - in an extremely subtle and indirect manner. Mentors might not be nice to us sometimes. They will always feel the need of pushing us to the limit for us to grow stronger. This seems to be the case of…