The entire Julia Morgan School—comprised of more than 200 girls in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades and their teachers—was in attendance for a screening of the award-winning 2002 New Zealand film Whale Rider, about an 11-year-old girl in a patriarchal Maori tribe who believes she is destined to be their new chief. The program focused on both the strong female protagonist of the film and the female filmmakers who produced and directed it. Executive producer Linda Goldstein Knowlton flew up from L.A. to participate in a post-screening discussion with the students, which focused on the making of the film, Linda’s path to becoming a filmmaker, and the challenges and obstacles she faces as a woman in a male-dominated industry. The program began with a live presentation by members of a local Maori cultural group. Wearing native dress similar to that featured in the film, they performed several traditional dances, explaining their cultural and historical context, significance and relevance. Thank you so much for the amazing Whale Rider presentation. The girls loved it. We spent all of Language Arts the next day discussing the grandfather's motives. It was fascinating. —Teacher, Julia Morgan School for Girls We learned a lot about the Maori dance culture, and symbolism, which really enhanced our experience of Whale Rider. In fact, we were still discussing the dances and the movie through the weekend! —Parent