Whale Rider

[Karl A. Hilbert]

I saw touching movie called Whale Rider (2002). It is set in NZ and has a piece in special features about a war canoe (waka taua). It shows the building technique and launching. 3 tons with 60+ paddlers.

[paladin]

and lotsa mad dudes with tattoos on their faces and wielding war clubs......

[Hal Forsen]

Very cool movie
http://www.movienet.com/images/Whale_Rider/1big.jpg

HF

[Lucky Luke]

Very touching film. I love it...and the little girl's accent is a delight! When, for example, she comes back to her grand father's house and says: "I'm beck, I'm beck!" ...

Wonderful too is when she starts telling her story (that's when she has the make-up like in the above photo), and says who she is, but.....she's only a girl...gee...she pulls tears from me (yeah, gran-dads liker me are easily moved by little girls...so what?)

But the construction of this BIG canoe...I surely would have like to see more! ...and the lauching, by these huge Maori guys....no wonder they can play rugby!!!!!

[PeterSibley]

Great movie ! Loved it .And as for canoes ...I remember one hanging from the roof in the Auckland Museum when I was a kid ,about 1958 ...huge ,at least it looked it to me , I wonder if its still there ?

[bamamick]

I have a copy of the dvd. As a father of three headstrong daughters it kind of struck home with me.

rtr

[paladin]

The war canoe is still there...I posted a pic of it recently...

[John E Hardiman]

There is a ~90'(?) canoe at the Treaty House site in Waitangi, built for the Queen's visit in the 50's as I recall. The most impresive thing was the ~14' diameter stump of the tree it was carved from.