Less than a week ago, Jacinda Ardern joined the general criticism of the Hollywood film They Are Us, which focused on her response to the attacks on the Christchurch Mosque. The Prime Minister of New Zealand said that the tragedy is too alive to be turned into a cinematic work. Now Ardern has once again distanced himself from the project that revolves around his figure.
Written by activist and journalist Supriya Wani and writer Karl A. Hart, edited by Simon and Schuster, Jacinda Ardern: Leading with Empathy is based on Wani’s exclusive interviews with Ardern.
But there is a problem: As a result of the biography, which mainly documents her leadership style, there should have been a job that involved “about 10 other women political leaders,” the prime minister explained at a press conference last Monday, June 14.
Ardern said Wani “clearly misled her” about the purpose of the interview and the premise of the book, ensuring that she was never informed by a journalist of her intention to write his biography. It was decided, following the 2019 approach, to participate in “exclusive interviews” for a “book on women and political leadership”. “I was told that there were about 10 other women political leaders involved and I agreed to the interview only on this basis, as it did not apply specifically to me,” she added.
In fact, the book’s claims of exclusive interviews with the prime minister have already caused some oddity in New Zealand, as Ardern does not usually give interviews to biographers. Two prominent New Zealand journalists, Madeleine Chapman and Michelle Duff, have written biographies of Ardern, but neither has been able to receive any interviews.
In her defense, Hart confirmed in statements to The Guardian that “the original interview was for a book that featured several women leaders.” However, he argues that Prime Minister Ardern was not deceived “because at the time of the interview we had no intention of writing a biography only about her.” Co-author Karl A. Hart also explained that the book’s course was changed in 2020 as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, which ultimately prevented interviews with other world leaders, and because “her story and her exemplary leadership deserve a book.” … Hart added that Ardern knew the scope of the book had changed to a biography, as “in January, Vani informed the Prime Minister’s office of this intention, and the cover of the book was even sent to her advisers.”
FAST FILM? Last week, Ardern was already forced to publicly reveal the film They Are Us, which was due to start production soon and which, despite the March 15, 2019 attacks on the Christchurch Mosque, forced New Zealand’s Prime Minister to protagonize.
The play, in which actress Rose Byrne plays Jacinda Ardern, was announced by the Hollywood Reporter last Friday, June 11, as “an inspiring tale of a young leader’s reaction to tragic events.” The reaction was not as expected, however, and the film was immediately criticized for focusing on the leadership of a white woman amid the massacre of 51 Muslim white supremacists. Many New Zealanders Muslims have criticized this argument as “exploitative”, “insensitive” and “obscene.” The petition to cancel the film’s production has garnered nearly 60,000 signatures in just three days. “There are many stories about March 15 that could be told, but I don’t consider mine to be one of them,” repeated Ardern, denying his involvement in the film.
This reaction seems to have convinced producer Phillip Campbell to abandon the project: “I’ve heard concerns expressed in the past few days and I’ve heard the power of people’s opinions. I agree that the events of March 15, 2019 are too harsh for cinema at the moment, and I do not want to get involved with a project that causes so much suffering, ”he explained.
PRIME MINISTER Jacinda Ardern is New Zealand’s third female prime minister and the second youngest leader in the country’s history. He was born in 1980 in New Zealand’s seventh largest city, Hamilton, but grew up in the small rural town of Murupara. Her mother worked in a school cafeteria and her father was a police officer in Morrinsville, which, according to the prime minister, played a crucial role in her “outlook on politics.”
She attended the University of Waikato in 2001, working as a researcher in the office of Prime Minister Helen Clark. She later worked in the UK as an adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair, and in 2008 was elected President of the International Union of Socialist Youth. After passing through the New Zealand Parliament, she was unanimously elected as Deputy Leader of the Labor Party, which she took over in 2017. That same year, the party surpassed its biggest rival, the National Party, and Jacinda took over as prime minister. After just eight months in power, she gave birth to a baby girl, becoming the country’s first head of government to give birth to a child during her term.
He immediately became a symbol of the New Left and women’s emancipation. Its effectiveness in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic has made it even more popular. This year, Fortune magazine ranked her number one among the world’s great leaders for her role in climate and gender equality politics.
