Prime Minister Film Review
We don’t often associate traits like heart and soul with our world leaders, especially not today. The film, “Prime Minister” challenges this notion. It’s a portrait of New Zealand’s former leader, Jacinda Ardern, a woman who embodies this and so much more.
The film begins with her at Harvard University lecturing to students in 2024. She is reflecting back on her time in office and this is used as a plot device to then travel back to 2017. When the then unpopular New Zealand Labour leader, Andrew Little resigns due to poor polling results, Ardern is thrust into the opposition leader chair. She then wins an unwinnable election whilst pregnant with her first child, Neve.
This documentary is directed by Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe. It allows unprecedented access to Ardern. It threads together home videos shot by her partner, Clarke Gayford. It also uses footage from press conferences and interviews, including audio from an oral history project.
The flipside of this unprecedented access means that the film is quite positive of Ardern overall. There aren’t any interviews with her detractors. The only hint of these voices is in later chapters during Covid when she takes a hard stance on closing New Zealand’s borders in order to prevent deaths. This period coincides with the rise in Trump supporters and the proliferation of disinformation online.
The protestors in the antipodes actually assemble outside parliament. These parts make me stop and think this film doesn’t actually lack anything. Sure, one could argue that there is a lack of balance but there’s also an argument that these alternate voices shouldn’t be allowed a platform anyway. They are just spreading disinformation.
This film is told in quite a chronological way. It shows how inspiring Ardern was as a leader. Her party had to negotiate some awful tragedies like the Christchurch massacre and the Whakaari Island eruption. In the case of the former, Ardern took a firm stance not to repeat the gunman’s name out of respect for the 51 people who died and the scores more that were injured. This is an important moment.
Ardern certainly proves herself to be a charming character. She is relatable as she describes having her own dose of imposter syndrome, a surprise as this is something you wouldn’t expect from someone who has achieved so much. She questions how she can manage to negotiate motherhood and the demands of leading a country. It is heartwarming to see her tackle both with such seriousness, she actually says she looks at NZ from coast to coast and reflects on the responsibility she holds over every inch of the islands.
“Prime Minister” is a timely reminder that we need more leaders like Ardern and less like Trump and his ilk. She brings an intelligent strength to her convictions. This 40th PM of NZ who achieved office before she’d even hit middle age proves she is a pillar of strength, and this film serves as a fitting reminder of staying true to yourself and your convictions.
About the Author
Natalie Salvo Natalie is a Sydney-based writer and lover of all things music, food, photography comedy, art, theatre. You can find her digging in crates at good record stores.
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