'Whale Rider' and the Politics of Location

'Whale Rider' (Niki Caro, 2002) is being widely proclaimed as a return to form for New Zealand cinema and film-makers, and heralded for its representation of a distinct New Zealand cultural identity. Despite telling a universal triumph-over-adversity story, 'Whale Rider' has touched audiences because of its attention to local signifiers, situations and landscapes, as well as for its focus on everyday details and processes of storytelling and meaning production ... Rather than promoting a magical escape from the everyday, 'Whale Rider' locates magic and fantasy within this context and environment.'