At once intimate and sweeping. An engrossing portrait of an extraordinary leader.
In 2017 the New Zealand Labour Party had been in opposition for nine years. Polls were showing abysmal results for the party, and for leader Andrew Little. With only seven weeks to the next election, Little resigned, leaving his Deputy, Jacinda Ardern, to lead. To everyone’s surprise, including her own, (and with a little help from coalition agreements), Ardern became the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Starting her time in office with a clear agenda of left-wing reforms, many of which she pushed through, Ardern was soon swept up in unpredictable events such as the Christchurch terror attack, COVID-19, and the Whakaari volcanic eruption. And it would be her unflinchingly compassionate and reasoned responses to these crises which would define her Premiership. She also found out, just before the final vote count, that she was pregnant. She went on to become one of only (then) two world leaders who had given birth in office, and the first leader to take a baby into the United Nations chamber. She became an international icon.
From 2017 on, Ardern’s partner, and now husband, ex TV broadcaster Clarke Gayford, began filming her. Gayford managed to capture intimate moments, which yet reflected the larger issues being dealt with at the time. He sometimes threw questions at her; at other times he let the camera take what it wanted. Around the same period, Ardern also started participating in an oral history project, having regular chats with an historian, in order to capture both quotidian and profound moments.
Prime Minister uses both these ongoing projects, news footage, and some new shots, to create a surprisingly cohesive whole. Directors Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe have done a superb job of putting this documentary together. There is no voice over, and limited interviews-to-camera, relying more on the almost home-video feel of Gayford’s loving and personal camera. Gayford is also one of the producers. However, it does not come across as a hagiography, or a sickly love letter.
Ardern is currently working at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government, after spending two years at Harvard Kennedy School.
Prime Minister is an unfailingly fascinating political and personal documentary. It is a masterclass in leadership, and a horrifying portrait of the rampant sexism still levied at females in power. One of her critics claimed “She’s just a girl in a skirt on a power trip.”
Opening this week, Prime Minister will also have a special screening at Palace Nova Eastend on Sunday November 9th, along with a pre-recorded Q & A with Ardern (and a wine spritz!).
Click here for further details, and to book tickets.
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