Quotes
Pai: “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.”
Pai: “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.”
Pai: “My name is Paikea Apirana and I come from a long line of chiefs, stretching all the way back to the Whale Rider”
Pai: “There was no gladness when I was born. When I was born, my twin brother died and took our mother with him”
Pai: “They were waiting for their new leader…but he died.”
Pai: 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.”
Porourangi: “Her name is Paikea.”
Koro: “No, not that name.”
Pai: “He died and I didn’t”
Koro: “She’s no use to me”
Pai: “Maori women have got to stop smoking. We’ve got to protect our child bearing properties.”
Maori woman: “Gee she’s bossy that one.”
Pai: “It’s not Koro’s fault that I’m a girl.”
Nanny Flowers: “He has a lot of rules he has to live by.”
Nanny Flowers: “He isn’t my chief. I’m his chief”
Nanny Flowers: “Sometimes you’ve just got to let him think that he’s the boss”
Pai: “He is the boss”
Nanny Flowers: “Not of me. I let him think he is though”
Nanny Flowers: “You might be the boss out there, but I’m the boss in this kitchen”
Nanny Flowers: “Girls are welcome”
Koro: “If you have the tooth of a whale, you must have the jaw of a whale to wield it.”
Pai: “You know how we all came from the whale…but where does the whale come from? …How long ago?”
Koro: “Weave together the threads of Paikea so that our line remains strong”
Koro: “You don’t mess around with sacred things”
Nanny Flowers: “I don’t know…he was the second son”
Pai: “Could you teach me?”
Porourangi: “Look at me, for once in your life. Go on. You don’t even know who I am”
Koro: “I know who you were meant to be, who you were born to be”
Koro: “When she was born, that’s when things went wrong for us.”
Pai: “Why doesn’t he want me?”
Porourangi: “He’s just looking for something that doesn’t exist anymore – a prophet”
Pai: “A new leader? They exist.”
Porourangi: “I can’t be what he wants”
Pai: “Me neither”
Pai: “This speech is a token of my deep love and respect for Koro Apirana, my grandfather”
Pai: “I come from a long line of chiefs…but I was not the leader my grandfather was expecting. And by being born, I broke the line back to the ancient ones. It wasn’t anybody’s fault…it just happened.”
Pai: “But we can learn and if the knowledge is given to everyone, then we can have lots of leaders and soon everyone will be strong, not just the ones who’ve been chosen”
Koro: “Leave it. You’ve done enough”. (Koro)
Nanny Flowers: “He’s not ready yet”
Pai: “I wasn’t scared to die.”
Koro: “Wise leader, forgive me…I am just a fledgling new to this flight.”
Pai: “My name is Paikea Apirana and I come from a long line of chiefs, stretching all the way back to the Whale Rider. I am not a prophet, but I know our people will keep going forward with all of our strength.”
Pai: “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.”
Pai: “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.”
Pai: “My name is Paikea Apirana and I come from a long line of chiefs, stretching all the way back to the Whale Rider”
Pai: “There was no gladness when I was born. When I was born, my twin brother died and took our mother with him”
Pai: “They were waiting for their new leader…but he died.”
Pai: 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.”
Porourangi: “Her name is Paikea.”
Koro: “No, not that name.”
Pai: “He died and I didn’t”
Koro: “She’s no use to me”
Pai: “Maori women have got to stop smoking. We’ve got to protect our child bearing properties.”
Maori woman: “Gee she’s bossy that one.”
Pai: “It’s not Koro’s fault that I’m a girl.”
Nanny Flowers: “He has a lot of rules he has to live by.”
Nanny Flowers: “He isn’t my chief. I’m his chief”
Nanny Flowers: “Sometimes you’ve just got to let him think that he’s the boss”
Pai: “He is the boss”
Nanny Flowers: “Not of me. I let him think he is though”
Nanny Flowers: “You might be the boss out there, but I’m the boss in this kitchen”
Nanny Flowers: “Girls are welcome”
Koro: “If you have the tooth of a whale, you must have the jaw of a whale to wield it.”
Pai: “You know how we all came from the whale…but where does the whale come from? …How long ago?”
Koro: “Weave together the threads of Paikea so that our line remains strong”
Koro: “You don’t mess around with sacred things”
Nanny Flowers: “I don’t know…he was the second son”
Pai: “Could you teach me?”
Porourangi: “Look at me, for once in your life. Go on. You don’t even know who I am”
Koro: “I know who you were meant to be, who you were born to be”
Koro: “When she was born, that’s when things went wrong for us.”
Pai: “Why doesn’t he want me?”
Porourangi: “He’s just looking for something that doesn’t exist anymore – a prophet”
Pai: “A new leader? They exist.”
Porourangi: “I can’t be what he wants”
Pai: “Me neither”
Pai: “This speech is a token of my deep love and respect for Koro Apirana, my grandfather”
Pai: “I come from a long line of chiefs…but I was not the leader my grandfather was expecting. And by being born, I broke the line back to the ancient ones. It wasn’t anybody’s fault…it just happened.”
Pai: “But we can learn and if the knowledge is given to everyone, then we can have lots of leaders and soon everyone will be strong, not just the ones who’ve been chosen”
Koro: “Leave it. You’ve done enough”. (Koro)
Nanny Flowers: “He’s not ready yet”
Pai: “I wasn’t scared to die.”
Koro: “Wise leader, forgive me…I am just a fledgling new to this flight.”
Pai: “My name is Paikea Apirana and I come from a long line of chiefs, stretching all the way back to the Whale Rider. I am not a prophet, but I know our people will keep going forward with all of our strength.”