Sent to live with her grandparents in a quaint coastal Irish town, 10-year-old Fiona is fascinated by the village's rich folk culture, especially the local myths about a half-human, half-seal creature known as a selkie. Fiona becomes convinced that her supposedly deceased little brother is living with the selkies, and she travels to the beautiful, enchanted island of Roan Inish, where her grandparents once lived, to confirm her suspicions.

The film will particularly appeal to children and adults who grew up listening to stories rather than watching them on television, and the special effects, including a magical transformation of a seal into a woman, are meant to replicate the imagination of a rural child. With its gorgeous photography and perfectly paced storytelling, The Secret of Roan Inish stands as one of the finest folklore-based films ever made. 

New Zealand's Maori culture is the focus of Whale Rider, the powerful coming-of-age tale of Pai, a 13-year-old girl who feels destined to become leader and chief to her tribe although that role has always been reserved for males. In part, the role is her birthright, as her twin brother died in childbirth, and she survived. However, her grandfather, Koro, who is the current chief, stands firmly in the way of Pai's dream. He is extremely traditional and is superstitious that even Pai's curiosity in learning to be chief could upset the ancestors (who are the whales themselves).

Pai's grandmother, Flowers, defies Koro to support Pai, and her uncle, Rawiri, trains her in the chants and battle techniques she needs. The rest is intuition, and Pai has loads of it--enough to communicate with the ancestors, and call them to her for help and guidance. Weaving family life, cultural tradition, and an ancient myth into a contemporary story. New Zealand landscapes and underwater whale photography cement the formula of the film and add to its magic.