Niki Caro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Niki Caro
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Caro in 2017
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| Born |
Nikola Jean Caro
20 September 1966 Wellington, New Zealand
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| Alma mater | University of Auckland Swinburne University of Technology |
| Occupation | |
| Years active | 1984–present |
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Notable work
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| Spouse(s) | Andrew Lister |
| Children | 2 |
Niki Caro (born September 20, 1966) is a talented film director and screenwriter from New Zealand. She is known for making movies, TV shows, and even music videos. Her 2002 film Whale Rider was very popular and won many awards around the world.
Niki Caro also directed the live-action movie Mulan for Disney, which came out in 2020. This was a big deal because it made her only the second woman and second New Zealander to direct a Disney movie that cost over $100 million to make.
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Early Life and Education
Niki Caro grew up in Wellington, New Zealand. She went to school at Kadimah College and then Diocesan School for Girls in Auckland.
After high school, she studied at the University of Auckland, where she earned a degree in Fine Arts in 1988. She then went on to get a special diploma in Film from the Swinburne University of Technology in Australia.
Starting a Career in Film
Niki Caro first thought about working with metal sculptures. But soon, her interest turned to making films. She didn't go to a special film school at first. Instead, she learned by reading books about making movies and writing her own stories. Her mother even helped her by typing up her handwritten scripts!
First Directing Experiences
Caro's first jobs as a director were making commercials for different companies. She made ads for the New Zealand Land Transport Safety Authority, Nike, and Tower Insurance.
Her big break came when she was asked to write and direct for a TV series called Another Country. Even though she hadn't directed a TV show before, she found it felt natural to work with the actors.
Short Films and TV Shows
Niki Caro also directed short films and episodes for TV shows. She directed an episode of the New Zealand TV series Jackson's Wharf, which was nominated for an award. She also made several music videos. One of her music videos, "Bad Note for a Heart" by Straitjacket Fits, won an award for Best Music Video in 1990.
In 1992, she started working on TV dramas. One of her contributions, The Summer the Queen Came, received three nominations at the 1994 NZ Film and Television Awards. Two of her other works, Sure To Rise and Lemming Aid, were even chosen to be shown at the famous Cannes Film Festival in France.
Many of Caro's early works focused on women finding their goals and happiness in life. Her drama Plain Tastes was about a woman looking for love and happiness. It was nominated for "Best Television Drama" and "Best Writer" in 1996.
She also made documentaries, like her short film Footage (1996).
Major Film Projects
Memory & Desire
Niki Caro's first full-length movie was Memory & Desire (1998). This film tried to show off New Zealand's culture and beautiful landscapes. It was chosen for Critics' Week at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998. In 1999, it was voted the best new film at the New Zealand Film Awards.
Whale Rider
Caro then wrote and directed Whale Rider (2002). This movie tells the story of a young Māori girl who wants to become a leader for her tribe. She has to prove herself to her grandfather and the other men, who believe only boys can lead. The film is based on a book called Whale Rider.
Niki Caro believes Whale Rider is more about leadership than just about gender. She says there's a Māori saying that "women lead from behind." She directed Keisha Castle-Hughes, who was only thirteen, to an amazing performance that was nominated for an Oscar.
Whale Rider was made with a small budget of $2 million. But it became New Zealand's most successful film at the time. The movie, or Niki Caro herself, won or was nominated for over 50 different awards from film festivals around the world!
North Country
After the success of Whale Rider, Niki Caro directed her first Hollywood movie, North Country (2005). It starred Charlize Theron. This film tells the story of a woman who faces unfair treatment at her workplace in a mining town and decides to stand up for herself. The story is based on a real court case.
Caro said that even though she was warned about working with a big Hollywood studio on a film about women's rights, the studio was very respectful of her ideas. The movie was nominated for Oscars and a Golden Globe award.
Other Notable Films
After North Country, Caro returned to New Zealand to write and direct The Vintner's Luck (2009). This film is about a winemaker trying to create the perfect wine. She worked again with Keisha Castle-Hughes from Whale Rider in this movie.
Caro also directed McFarland, USA (2015), starring Kevin Costner. This film was well-received by critics.
In 2017, Niki Caro directed The Zookeeper's Wife. This movie tells the true story of Jan and Antonina Żabiński, a couple who secretly helped Jewish people during World War II at the Warsaw Zoo. Caro felt it was important to show a female perspective in the film. Many women worked on this movie, including the author of the book, the screenwriter, and several producers and crew members.
In 2017, Disney hired Niki Caro to direct the live-action movie Mulan, which was released in 2020. This made her the second woman to direct a Disney film with a budget over $100 million. The movie was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Director.
In 2019, it was announced that Caro would direct several episodes of the Amazon TV series Daisy Jones & the Six, which is based on a popular novel.
Personal Life
Niki Caro is married to an architect named Andrew Lister. They have two daughters, Tui and Pearl. Their first daughter was born shortly after Whale Rider became a big success. Because she was pregnant, Caro couldn't attend all the movie premieres, but she understood that family was most important.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Credited as | ||
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| Director | Writer | Producer | ||
| 1998 | Memory & Desire | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2002 | Whale Rider | Yes | Yes | No |
| 2005 | North Country | Yes | No | No |
| 2009 | The Vintner's Luck | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 2015 | McFarland, USA | Yes | No | No |
| 2017 | The Zookeeper's Wife | Yes | No | No |
| 2020 | Mulan | Yes | No | No |
| 2023 | The Mother | Yes | No | No |
Television
| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | |||
| 2001–2002 | Mercy Peak | Yes | Yes | 5 episodes |
| 2017 | Anne with an E | Yes | No | 1 episode |
Music Videos
| Year | Title | Artist | Note |
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| 2020 | "Loyal Brave True" | Christina Aguilera |
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| "El Mejor Guerrero" |
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| "Reflection" |
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| "Wierna, odważna i prawa" | Zuza Jabłońska |
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Awards and Achievements
Niki Caro has received many awards and honors for her work:
- She was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2004 for her contributions to the film industry.
- Whale Rider won Best Feature Film at the British Academy Children's Awards.
- Whale Rider also won the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2002.
- Her film Memory & Desire was nominated for Best Film and Best Screenplay Adaptation at the Nokia New Zealand Film Awards in 1999. It also won a Special Jury Prize.
- The TV series Jackson's Wharf received the Best Drama Script award in 1999.
- Her short film Sure to Rise was nominated for the Palme d'Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1994.
- She was nominated for Best Director and Best Writer at the NZ Film and Television Awards in 1994 for The Summer the Queen Came.
- She won Best Video at the NZ Music Awards in 1990 for Bad Note for a Heart.
See also
In Spanish: Niki Caro para niños
