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.
Mild reference to female genitalia in the beginning. Male genitalia is later referenced in a somewhat crude way, though it is not really obscene.
While bathing, a girl's bare back is shown from the waist up.
A group of boys are seen hitting their chest while topless.
violence
Some yelling, and belittling words. A man swats a boy on the back of his head for misbehaving. People practice with traditional Maori weapons; no injuries are shown. While dead whales are depicted, there is no blood/guts.
