PBS showing ‘Whale Rider’ – a universally appealing film

In 2002, a small film called “Whale Rider” began a journey that would capture the imagination of the world – which may seem odd, since the story is set in the little-known Maori culture of New Zealand.

There’s a kind of showbiz mindset that always wants to shoot for the broadest possible common denominator. But this film, like “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” proves that sometimes the most specific story can have universal appeal.

On Sunday night, PBS broadcasts “Whale Rider,” which stars then-11-year-old New Zealander Keisha Castle-Hughes as Pai, a chief’s granddaughter who wants to assume her place as the leader of her people.

“The Maori people of New Zealand definitely took great pride in the film,” says Castle-Hughes, now 15, who’s part Australian and part Maori.

“It showed that we could express our culture, and the rest of the world would understand it,” she says. “It wasn’t just that New Zealanders would understand it, but around the world.

“It’s still very true to its culture, but it has so many universal themes, especially the relationship of a young girl and her grandfather. You could be Mexican and still have that same kind of relationship. Every culture has a leader, as such, and more than often it’s a male. That’s why a lot of people understood.”

Castle-Hughes received a 2004 Academy Award nomination for the role, making her, at 13, the youngest person ever to get a best-actress nod. It’s an experience that took some time to process.

“It was a real big whirlwind,” she says. “It was two months of full-on publicity and being in the public eye constantly.

“Then you get back to New Zealand, and it’s back down to earth.

“It was hard. It took a while to kick in. Even after all that happened, it was like, ‘Was that a dream? Was that real life?’ I was still a little confused.”

After beginning her acting career on such a high, Castle-Hughes hasn’t really found a follow-up role.

She had a small part as the Queen of Naboo in this year’s “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” but her life is mostly taken up with friends, family and school.

“I’ve seen a few scripts,” she says, “and a lot of them, because of my age, it’s either about a sexual coming-of-age, and I don’t want to make films like that, or it’s about an 11-year-old girl, and I no longer look 11. It’s a hard age. You still want to make films you can take your grandparents around to watch.”

Castle-Hughes says she still thinks about being a teacher, but she may take a couple years off to travel between high school and college. She hasn’t, though, totally ruled out trying her luck in the United States one day.

“I love New Zealand,” she says, “and it will always be home.

“If I have to go away, I go away, but at least I can always come back.”

Of course, with the high worldwide profile of “Whale Rider” – and the phenomenal success of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, which was filmed in New Zealand – the world just might come to Castle-Hughes.

“It does feel a little bit like that,” she says. “From a place where we made one film a year, suddenly everyone’s coming to make these films and wanting to use our crews and our actors.

“It’s good, because we have a really small film industry, so it broadens it and makes opportunities a lot bigger.”