Celebrity faves: Len Brown

Len Brown - Mayor of Auckland. Photo / NZ Herald

What is your favourite book?

Captain Corelli's Mandolin, by Louis de Bernieres.

Why?

It's an outstanding read, a timeless and beautiful story, and there are elements in it that everyone can relate to - love, war, resilience, and humour by the bucket-load. And the realism of descriptions of Greece and the island of Cephalonia are incredible - you can smell it and see it.

How many times have you read it?

Three times.

What is your favourite movie?

Hard call, but probably Schindler's List.

Why?

It's an amazing story, of hope and humanity, greed and compassion. It's difficult to watch because it's so brutal, true and real. The acting is brilliant - Liam Neeson and Ben Kingsley are outstanding, and Ralph Fiennes is chilling. In fact, Ben Kingsley is in both of my favourites films - in Gandhi too.

How many times have you seen it?

I've seen it about 20 times, but I need to leave a decent amount of time between viewings because it's just so exhausting to watch.