THE STORY – A view inside the life of former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, capturing her through five tumultuous years in power and beyond as she redefined leadership on the world stage.
THE CAST – Jacinda Ardern
THE TEAM – Lindsay Utz & Michelle Walshe (Directors/Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 106 Minutes
The casual American with a vague interest in global politics probably best knows Jacinda Ardern for her effective handling of the COVID crisis in New Zealand. However, as the documentary “Prime Minister” shows, the former PM accomplished so much more than that during her 2017-2023 administration. The film can hardly be called unbiased, as it paints an uber-flattering portrait of the groundbreaking leader. But what it does best is humanize Ardern in a way not often seen in such nonfiction biographies. “Prime Minister” sticks to its agenda by enshrining Ardern’s legacy in an admittedly watchable and inspiring film while never managing to feel like anything more substantial than a long-form campaign ad.
Ardern began her national political career in 2008 when elected as a member of Parliament for the Labour Party at only 28 years old. In 2017, she became the world’s youngest female head of government when she ascended to the position of Prime Minister. Not only did she break barriers merely by assuming her leadership role, but she also became the second-ever elected head of government to give birth during their term. She navigated a host of difficult moments for her country, including the devastating 2019 massacre at a mosque in Christchurch, which led to the country successfully installing a sweeping array of gun reforms. And, of course, 2020 brought COVID-19. She made the tough decision to fully close down the island nation’s borders, which eventually led to a complete suppression of the virus’s spread while most of the world suffered. This led to a landslide reelection for herself and her party later that year. But as with many nations, the ignorance of the anti-vax movement led to difficulties during her second term. She announced in January 2023 that she would resign her position.
The directing team of Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe keeps the film focused on only Ardern’s years as PM, with occasional, brief asides to provide additional context about her youthful interest in politics and swift climb up the ranking of New Zealand’s leadership. They choose to go through her years in power chronologically, constructing a typical biography of the most important era of her life. This expected but smart choice helps those unfamiliar with New Zealand’s modern politics gain an appreciation for how Ardern led her country.
The film eschews the sort of talking head interviews typical of most documentaries. Instead, Utz and Walshe rely heavily on direct footage from her prime ministership. The closest the film gets to employing any sort of editorialized testimony are the repeated moments of a post-leadership Ardern listening back to interviews that were regularly conducted with her during her administration. These instances are essentially used as chapter markers for the documentary, although Ardern doesn’t have much to say about them except for occasionally wincing at her recorded voice’s naivete as to tough things yet to come. Ardern doesn’t seem interested in much self-reflection about her time in power, which may be because it ended so recently. To say anything critical of herself or her colleagues at this time might be viewed as a rebuke of her leadership in general.
The most impactful moments in the film aren’t those presented through news footage or official channels. Instead, the home video footage shot by her now-husband Clarke Gayford shows Ardern trying her best to remain composed under increasingly difficult circumstances. But the most revealing instances are when Ardern lets her guard down, unleashing her emotions and even crying. It’s hard to imagine most world leaders letting themselves be seen crying, even in private. It serves as a quiet but direct rebuttal to those who claim women are too emotional to lead. In fact, “Prime Minister” shows that Ardern has a healthy grasp on her emotions, which means occasionally letting them out.
Still, it’s hard to say that “Prime Minister” doesn’t aim to make Ardern’s years in power look as favorable and inarguably positive as possible. And even if her administration could be called objectively good (something impossible to say about any politician’s work), it means that the film ultimately feels hollow. However, it’s undeniably refreshing to watch someone lead a country with respect and kindness as their guiding force.
