First, water. Next, a woman in terrible labor pains being held by her husband. Finally, you witness the husband grieving the death of his wife, and his son. Yet life won't let him be alone (as much as he craves it) in his grief, It lives in a baby, the twin sister of the dead baby son. From this moment on, the strength of life continues to interrupt grief and death for the rest of this moving film.

As this beautiful story unfolds, we are quietly introduced to the Maori people of New Zealand. Paikea is the man who was brought to their coastal island on the back of a whale (the Whale Rider) thousands of years ago. Every chief since has descended from Paikea and their first born male continues the line and the leadership of the Maori people. As we continue to become acquainted with the cultural ways of the Maori, we understand how much devastation the death of the twin brother has brought. So much rested on him. Yet, he died at birth. The husband, has fled his home and his people, unable to deal with his grief and disappointment over the loss of his wife and son. It is assumed that he will return when he is ready and "try again". Left behind is Pai - the twin sister who lived.

Keisha Castle-Hughes is compelling as Pai. You will not believe that she is an 11 year old girl, who has never acted before, chosen out of thousands of schoolchildren in NZ to play Pai. You believe she is Pai.

We meet Pai at eleven years of age. She has been raised by her grandparents (again, her Grandfather is the chief of the Maori). Pai's father returns, after years away, to see her in a school performance and hope is renewed for Pai's Grandfather, Koro. Koro believes that his son has returned home to lead his people and try again to find a wife and have a first-born son to continue the line of Maori chiefs. To his bitter disappoint, it quickly becomes apparent that his own first-born son has abandoned his birthright and Koro worries about the future of his people. Convinced that something "went wrong" when the twin brother died and Pai lived -- he begins to search among the boys in the tribe that were born at the same time. He believes one of them must be the ancescentral chosen one to lead the tribe after his time is done.

The rest of the story is best seen in person. You will see life's determined but natural hope, beauty and purity glowing in the face of denial despair, and disbelief. This story is less about cultural morays as it is the strength of a life lived authentically. When life opens itself up, it opens up life for everything around it. I spent a majority of this film in tears. This film moves you. Storytelling like this, understated and yet appropriately presented, is how it should be. Pai's story has power and inspiration.

The acting in this film is perfect. It is not once self-conscious or overdone. It allows us to know intimately the pain, the hope, the fear and the humanity of each character. Not only can you not help but feel with them, it transcends feeling in merely a sympathic way. It becomes empathetic. As we watch, we feel and experience our own humanity. In Pai's triumph, we dare to believe in the possibility of our own.