(****)

If ever there was a need for a role model on how to run a country with compassion and strength, that time is now. And she’s the one.  

Something was very different about Labor Party member Jacinda Ardern. Right from the beginning of her tenure as opposition leader in 2017, she seemed gifted. Ardern’s goals for building a strong New Zealand were observant, thoughtful and instructional: “We’ve got a hyper partisanship now. It means we don’t listen and engage in respectful debate. We have to rehumanize one another again.”   

Some may think diametrically opposed politics are just endemic in the U.S., but this illuminating documentary shows you that exhaustingly polarized right and left standoffs are everywhere. It’s a mindset. Not necessarily pertaining to race, class, ethnicity or gender. That’s evident as viewers discover Ardern’s political philosophies and rivals who oppose them and her. She’s a visionary. Able to build bridges. Successful on many levels. That’s all on the screen during this consistently engaging, 1h 41m bit of consciousness raising.   

Co-directors Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe wisely and judiciously use footage Ardern’s husband Clarke Gayford shot over the years. New interviews with Ardern, and those around her, capture her essence, achievements and a pioneering way of governing that set her apart from other PMs and presidents. Others who ran stagnate governments while she embraced monumental change.  

Mass killings abound around the world—particularly in the U.S. Yet when she handled the Christchurch mosque shootings of 2019, her approach to the murder spree was the epitome of smart problem-solving. She assessed the situation: “Gunmen firing at mosque. 500 people in mosque. An extraordinary act of violence.” Brought people together: “They are us. Forty people have lost their lives in this terrorist attack.” Used facts to make decisions: “I’m advised that there were two shotguns and semi-automatic weapons.” Devised a plan: “I can tell you right now, our gun laws will change!” And followed through: “Today I announce that New Zealand will ban all military style weapons, assault rifles and all high-capacity magazines.”  

Ardern didn’t cave to special interests, lobbyists, the firearms industry. She put people first, to the best of her ability. And worked through personal and professional issues, while she did her job. E.g., when she became pregnant during her tenure she juggled a birth, breast feeding, childcare and continued to run the country. That kind of pluck contributes to Ardern’s hero persona. Along with the way she championed pro-choice laws, led the COVID epidemic response and battled the disinformation on the internet that destroyed whatever truth and reality once was.  

The musical score by Drum & Lace captures a spirit. Editors Enat Sidi and Grace Zahrah are nimble as they clip scenes down to their roots. Utz and Walshe get the facts straight, paint the portrait and let Jacinda Ardern shine. She’s the one who stumbled into an opportunity to be on the world stage. She remained humbled, learned along the way and found strength in the people she served. Her evolution in self-awareness, from a person with imposter syndrome to a leader in charge, is more than worthy of this attention.

Ardern, “You underestimate what you’re capable of until you’re doing it.” That’s what audiences will learn thanks to this eye-opening, history-revealing documentary. And it’s enough to inspire all who will follow in her path.  

Photos courtesy of the Sundance Film Institute, photo by Radio New Zealand 
For more information about the Sundance Film Festival go to: https://festival.sundance.org
Visit Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.