Prime Minister is a documentary that follows New Zealand’s former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern over the five years of her premiership. It’s told mostly as a fly-on-the-wall story with footage shot by her husband, Clarke Gayford, as well as news footage and some recent interviews with her where she offers up insights about her past.
It begins seven weeks before the 2017 general election in New Zealand, where after Labour leader Andrew Little resigns, Ardern must quickly take the reins of the party during the campaign.
Seven weeks before the 2017 election
This is a fascinating look into what was a very intense time, not only for Ardern, but for New Zealand and the world. During her tenure, she gave birth; lead the country through the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings; the eruption of White Island; and, of course, steering the country through the COVID pandemic.
What this documentary lays bare is not only the major events but also the misogyny that was thrown at Ardern and her at times stoic responses. She comes across as deeply empathetic and a strong leader – someone to be proud of no matter one’s political persuasion. It is also interesting to see her own self-doubt and how behind the scenes, the pressures of office eventually proving too much for her.
I liked this documentary and I think all New Zealanders should see it, but I did have some misgivings. One of the criticisms of Ardern during her tenure by some was that she relied on spin rather than actual action. It is a tad unfair given all she did manage – her handling of the mosque shootings was masterful as was the initial response to COVID. But her government did not live up to all the promises.
And it is that where the film disappoints to some degree. It treats her very kindly and I think accurately in terms of her intelligence, compassion and humour. But we don’t see any true self-reflection, no self-analysis of her failures or the decisions she got wrong.
Ultimately, Prime Minister is a compelling and emotional film that shows the obvious strengths of Ardern as both a politician and a human being, but I feel disappointed this documentary didn’t go deeper into self critique.