Whale Rider - Auckland Live Summer in the Square

Kick back and enjoy a free screening of Whale Rider, part of Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau’s outdoor summer cinema line-up this Waitangi Weekend in Aotea Square. Come early to secure your spot, bring something comfy to sit on, have a bite to eat, and catch the pre-movie entertainment.

On the east coast of New Zealand, the Whangara people believe their presence there dates back a thousand years or more to a single ancestor, Paikea, who escaped death when his canoe capsized by riding to shore on the back of a whale. From then on, Whangara chiefs, always the first-born, always male, have been considered Paikea's direct descendants. Pai, an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal New Zealand tribe, believes she is destined to be the new chief. But her grandfather Koro is bound by tradition to pick a male leader. Pai loves Koro more than anyone in the world, but she must fight him and a thousand years of tradition to fulfill her destiny.

Parents, please don't drop off or leave your children unsupervised at this event. Please note you cannot BYO alcohol to Summer in the Square. The Terrace Café and Hello Sailor will be open and selling both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as tasty eats and treats.