Propaganda-style Jacinda Ardern documentary wins Sundance award

Film branded yet another mainstream attempt to whitewash her controversial legacy as critics are portrayed as 'anti-vaxxers'.

A documentary painting Jacinda Ardern as a kind and empathetic leader has won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, despite growing global rejection of the woke politics she championed.

The 102-minute film, Prime Minister, directed by American filmmakers Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe, has been hailed by critics for its portrayal of Ardern’s leadership.

But many see it as yet another carefully curated attempt to rewrite history, with reviews noting that the widespread opposition to Ardern's COVID-19 policies at the time is portrayed in the film as coming from 'anti-vaxxers' who were attempting a 'January 6 style insurrection' in the nation's capital.

Ardern resigned in 2023 as her government faced electoral defeat, with widespread anger over her authoritarian pandemic policies.

The film relies heavily on home footage shot by Ardern’s husband, Clarke Gayford, who also worked as a producer and director of photography. In an interview with ABC4 film critic Patrick Beatty, Ardern distanced herself from the project’s narrative, saying, “I simply did a job, it was captured and then others had crafted it and put it out for the public to see ... you see highs and you see lows.”

She admitted there were moments where she had to “look away” or “cringe at myself” but defended the documentary’s message. “There’s a very rare opportunity, I think, to share what it looks to be in leadership, how it feels to be in leadership,” she said.

Ardern also used the film to push her belief that “empathy and kindness” should be central to leadership, a talking point critics argue was little more than a branding exercise. Her government’s pandemic response, which included extended lockdowns and vaccine mandates, sparked mass protests and deep divisions in New Zealand society, leading many to question whether her “kindness” ever translated into meaningful leadership.

The documentary’s "intimate" style, featuring shaky home videos, is designed to humanise Ardern’s time in office, with Gayford telling Filmmaker Magazine: “I did make a stylistic choice to not make the at-home and intimate work recordings look too good, to help retain an authentic feel.”

The glowing portrayal of Ardern stands in stark contrast to the fate of woke leaders worldwide. From Canada’s Justin Trudeau, whose popularity is crumbling, to other progressive leaders facing rejection at the ballot box, the political tide is shifting.

Despite this, the mainstream media continues to push narratives that depict leaders like Ardern as selfless figures, rather than acknowledging the backlash against their policies.

Speaking to mainstream media last year, Ardern maintained that her story was one worth telling. “Mine is a human story and a New Zealand story. If that makes a difference for someone else then I think that’s worth sharing.”

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  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2025-02-03 17:34:34 -0500
    How 1984 of these film makers. History is always rewritten by the leftists.