Thanks to a lot of people, not just myself, 'Whale Rider' had an amazing impact emotionally, and people remember it. I count myself very lucky that all those doors were unlocked, I just had to open them.

I absolutely love being a mother. It's been a blessing. It's fun and it's hard, but it's absolutely amazing.

I was able to grow up and do silly things and have a life with only a small amount of public scrutiny.

Your private life should be private. I reckon that's a good thing that you talk about your work and you talk about what you're doing, but without having to go into how your brother's been and how your mum's been because none of that's really relevant.

North Koreans are forced to work at state jobs in a moribund economy. Countless parents watch their children go to bed hungry. Many North Korean families feel they have no option but to try to escape.

It's wrong for parents to bury their children. It should be the other way around.

The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom.

Dachshunds are ideal dogs for small children, as they are already stretched and pulled to such a length that the child cannot do much harm one way or the other.