Niki Caro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Niki Caro MNZM
Caro in 2017
Born	Nikola Jean Caro (1966-09-20) 20 September 1966 (age 58) Wellington, New Zealand
Alma mater	University of Auckland Swinburne University of Technology
Occupation	Film director film producer screenwriter
Years active	1984–present
Notable work	Whale Rider North Country The Vintner's Luck McFarland, USA The Zookeeper's Wife Mulan The Mother
Spouse(s)	Andrew Lister
Children	2

Nikola Jean Caro (born 20 September 1966) is a talented film, television, and music video director and screenwriter from New Zealand. She is known for her amazing storytelling. Her 2002 film Whale Rider received many awards and was loved by critics around the world.

Niki Caro directed the live-action version of Disney's Mulan in 2020. This made her only the second female director, and the second director from New Zealand, to direct a Disney film with a budget over $100 million. Her work includes everything from music videos and commercials to TV shows and big movies.

Early Life and Education

Niki Caro was born in Wellington, New Zealand. She went to Kadimah College and then to Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland. She later studied at the Elam School of Fine Arts at the University of Auckland, graduating in 1988. She also earned a special diploma in film from the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia.

Career Highlights

Starting in Film

Niki Caro first became interested in making metal sculptures. However, her passion soon shifted to film. She didn't go to a special film school. Instead, she learned by reading books about making movies and writing her own scripts. Her mother would even type out her handwritten stories!

Caro's first directing jobs were making commercials for companies like Nike. Her big break came when she was hired to write and direct for a TV series called Another Country. She felt that directing came naturally to her once she started working with actors.

Memory & Desire

Caro's first full-length movie was Memory & Desire, released in 1998. This film aimed to show off New Zealand's culture and beautiful landscapes. While it didn't do as well as hoped at the box office, it was chosen for Critics' Week at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998. In 1999, it was named the best new film at the New Zealand Film Awards.

Whale Rider

Niki Caro then wrote and directed Whale Rider (2002). This powerful film tells the story of a Māori girl who challenges her grandfather and the men of her tribe. She wants to prove she can be a leader, even though tradition says only boys can lead. The movie is based on the book Whale Rider.

Caro believes Whale Rider is mostly about leadership and tradition, rather than just about gender. She directed 13-year-old Keisha Castle-Hughes to an amazing performance that earned her a nomination for an Oscar for Best Actress. The film was made on a small budget of $2 million, but it became New Zealand's most successful movie financially. Whale Rider and Niki Caro won or were nominated for over 50 international film awards.

North Country

After the huge success of Whale Rider, Caro was chosen to direct her first Hollywood film, North Country (2005). It starred Charlize Theron. The film was nominated for Best Actress awards at the Oscars and the Golden Globes.

The Zookeeper's Wife

Niki Caro and Jessica Chastain for The Zookeeper's Wife

In 2017, Caro directed The Zookeeper's Wife. This movie is based on a true story from a non-fiction book. It tells how Jan and Antonina Żabiński secretly helped Jewish people hide during World War II at the Warsaw Zoo. Many women were involved in making this film, from the author to the producers and crew. Caro said she simply hired the best people for each job, and many of them happened to be women.

Other Projects

After North Country, Caro returned to New Zealand to make The Vintner's Luck (2009). This film brought her back together with Keisha Castle-Hughes, who starred in Whale Rider.

In 2015, Caro directed McFarland, USA, starring Kevin Costner. This film was well-received by critics.

In 2017, Niki Caro was chosen to direct Disney's live-action adaptation of Mulan, which came out in 2020. This made her the second woman to direct a Disney film with a budget over $100 million. Mulan was nominated for the 46th Saturn Award for Best Director.

In 2019, Caro also directed several episodes of the Amazon TV series Daisy Jones and the Six.

Personal Life

Niki Caro is married to an architect named Andrew Lister. They have two daughters, Tui and Pearl. Her first daughter was born shortly after Whale Rider became a success. Because she was pregnant, Caro couldn't attend the film's premieres. She said she was sad but also thought it might be good to avoid the intense spotlight of Hollywood success.

Filmography

Film

Television

Music Videos

Awards and Recognition

• Caro was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in 2004 for her great work in the film industry.
• Whale Rider won Best Feature Film at the British Academy Children's Awards.
• Whale Rider received the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2002.
• Caro's film Memory & Desire was nominated for Best Film and Best Screenplay Adaptation at the Nokia New Zealand Film Awards in 1999.
• Her film, Memory & Desire won a Special Jury Prize at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards.
• Caro's television documentary Footage was chosen for the Venice Film Festival in 1996.
• Caro's short film Sure to Rise was nominated for the Palme d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1994.
• Caro was nominated for Best Director and Best Writer at the NZ Film and Television Awards (1994) for The Summer the Queen Came.
• She won Best Video at the NZ Music Awards (1990) for Bad Note for a Heart.

See Also

In Spanish: Niki Caro para niños

• List of female film and television directors
• Women's cinema
• Feminist film theory