I went with Andre last night and saw Whale Rider in Berkeley. What a great film. The story was amazing and the movie was so well shot that you didn’t really think about it being a movie. There were a few places where the story and direction seemed a little heavy handed, but other than that I have no issues with it. All the actors did a great job with their performances. The girl (Keisha Castle-Hughes) did an absolutely fabulous job, especially showing the agony of having to deliver a speech about her grandfather and he wasn’t there to hear it. The blending of traditional Maori practices and the modern world was great to watch. Seeing the Maori celebration at the end of the movie was awesome and inspiring, and again, it was well shot. (pictured is the marquee at the theater, we couldn’t decide if we should see Bad Whale or Boys Rider :)