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Set in a modern Maori community in New Zealand, this powerful drama chronicles three generations of one family, which is headed by a strictly old-fashioned patriarch named Koro (Rawiri Paratane, 2000’s ACCIDENTS). Koro is disappointed that his son Porourangi (Cliff Curtis, THREE KINGS) has not had a son, but a daughter. Defiantly he named the little girl Paikea (Keisha Castle-Hughes, film debut) after the mythic leader of the tribe. Porourangi leaves the community and his mother Nancy Flowers (Vicky Haughton, JUBILEE) takes the child in.

Koro’s disappointment fades over time once the love for his granddaughter grows, however, he’s very staunch in his traditional beliefs that his family needs a male descendant from his first-born son to carry on the leadership and traditions of his people. As Porourangi tells Pai, he’s looking for a prophet. When I first heard the plot of this film, I thought that the film was just going to be one of those solid girl-proves-she can-hang-with-the-boys type of films. I just wasn’t prepared for the honest power of this particular story.

It’s about more than just Koro coming to terms with a woman becoming the leader — it’s about coming to terms with the slow fading of an ancient noble culture. The Maori people have unique traditions and rituals and have the distinction of being the only group of people never to be conquered by invaders. The story is so natural and realistic, but concludes in a profoundly poetic way that uses a predictable image but presents it in a completely believable and emotional way.

The performances by the entire cast are amazing. Paratane does an amazing job of crafting a character who we feel is wrong but we can understand his emotions and ultimately still care about him. Curtis solidifies in my mind that he is one of my favorite actors who most people don’t know about. In the handful of scenes that he is in he creates a fully realized character. I also liked Grant Roa in his film debut as Koro’s second son Rawiri, who is kind of slacker, but shows signs of being a born leader when given the chance. But the true heart of the film is the captivating performance by 13-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes. It’s one of the best adolescent performances I think I’ve ever seen. Her speech at school toward the end of the film is heartbreaking in its innocence and its dramatic power.

Because of one scene with drugs being taken in the background, the film received a PG-13 rating, but this a film that anyone in the family can enjoy. Here is a brilliant example of crafting a layered story that doesn’t need to be “adult” just to add some kind of legitimacy to the production. It proves that children do not have to be excluded from great works of art that are also great entertainments. I cannot recommend this film more. It will be one of the absolutely best films of 2003 without a doubt.