The term 'kindness' features prominently in Jacinda Ardern's professional journey, as beautifully captured in "Prime Minister", an intimate documentary exploring her six-year reign as New Zealand's Premier. At a first glance, it may seem endearing and innocent, but the film reveals the potency of her compassionate approach that contributed to her immense global stature.
Ardern took the reins of the Labour party at 37 and stepped into the role of Prime Minister within seven weeks. Around this time, unexpected news of her pregnancy surfaced. Ardern's tenure saw her tackling monumental crises like the Christchurch Mosque shooting and the COVID-19 pandemic with empathy and strength. She also implemented progressive policies, such as stringent gun control laws, which furthered her admiration across the globe.
Her sudden resignation in 2023 shocked many when she opened about feeling exhausted and unable to face future crises. The documentary offers an insight into these events by using one-of-a-kind footage, home videos taken primarily by her spouse, Clarke Gayford, and candid interviews from a New Zealand oral history project. The carefully edited montage provides a rarely-witnessed perspective into the daily lives of politicians during calamities.
Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, the film successfully juxtaposes Ardern's leadership style with contrasting leaders, juxtaposing her compassionate, community-oriented approach to the more divisive and isolationist stances adopted by leaders like Donald Trump.
The film's approach, however, paints an imbalanced picture initially by focusing too much on Ardern's motherhood. But, as the narrative advances, it beautifully weaves the interplay between her personal and professional life, making it the core theme.
The film particularly emphasizes Ardern's swift, unifying action following the Christchurch attack - swiftly categorizing it a terror attack, visiting the victims' families, and expressing her fury and sadness. She led the charge to pass laws eradicating semi-automatic and assault weapons sales in the aftermath.
As well as documenting the political hurdles, the film offers an intimate insight into Ardern's personal life, such as her struggle with breastfeeding and the challenges she faced when setting up vaccine mandates.
Despite its gloss-over attitude regarding political tussles, the documentary is enticing due to its profoundly personal elements. The retrospection of Ardern's decision to resign, her fears of policy backslide, and the unacknowledged plummeting approval ratings are some of the film's compelling highlights. The film ends with the strong influence Ardern's humanitarian-centric approach has left on global politics, evoking a desire among viewers to vote for a leader like Ardern.
