In the movie, Whale Rider, in what ways do you see "lack of hope"?

If there is a "lack of hope" present in the film, it would
have to be the number of narratives that have passed or are still being formed that do
not result in the redemptive ending of Paikea.  Pai goes to great lengths to prove that
she is a worthy leader of the village.  While her grandfather resents her for most of
the film, in the end the girl proves to be a worthy leader of the village.  The element
of despair that is present is that Pai is the minority.  While the film celebrates how
one voice can triumph in this social order, the reality is that the social order
possesses a great deal of resistance to women being nothing more than second class
citizens.  Simultaneously, the source of the film's redemption is also the location of
its despair in that this is a condition that modern women around the world must confront
and endure.  This becomes a critical element of despair that is evoked by the 
film.