Prime Minister

Very few global leaders would allow themselves to seen so raw and affected over such a long period. And then reflect back on their past so candidly. Hats off to the filmmakers spent years alongside in both the public and private arena. Irrespective of 'left and right' politics, and 'taking sides' this is an insight into what it really means to have the weight of a nation on your shoulders through an unscripted pandemic, the worse terrorist attack a nation has faced, a volcanic eruption, a pregnancy and raising an infant to child, all the while being scrutinised to levels no male politician would ever face.

For me this was the perfect movie. From 1971 to 1978 I lived in Wellington, half a mile from Parliament Building (in one direction), and half a mile from Premier House (in another direction) where Jacinda Ardern and Clark took up residence in 2017. When I arrived on those shores there had not yet been a New Zealand feature-length move. How things have changed -- I gazed in wonder at my old Thorndon neighborhood, fifty years older now. As I left the theater I thought that this must be the best of documentaries. Jacinda could be nominated for an Oscar, but that might not be right -- she wasn't acting, she was just being her incredible self.

This is quite possibly the worst documentary I've ever seen. Don't waste your time. It plays more like a self-congratulatory PR piece than an honest account. Rather than offering a balanced view, it's just Jacinda Ardern telling the world how kind, caring, and empathetic she supposedly was - a narrative many New Zealanders know doesn't reflect reality. There's no serious scrutiny, no opposing voices, and no acknowledgment of the damage done during her time in office. As a New Zealander myself, I found the whole thing deeply offensive - a tone-deaf attempt to rewrite history. Truly embarrassing stuff.

I didn't expect to be so emotional watching this, but it hit me harder than I anticipated. The film captures more than just Jacinda Ardern's time in office - it's a reminder of a leadership style rooted in empathy, clarity, and courage. Watching it made me nostalgic for a country that, in many ways, doesn't feel the same anymore.

It's rare to see a political figure portrayed with such honesty and vulnerability, and it only reinforced what I already felt: the world needs more Jacindas. If more leaders approached their role with the compassion and moral backbone that she did, the world would be a profoundly different place.

I'm not surprised to see a few low-star ratings from people who likely didn't watch it, or who disagree with her politics but can't articulate why - and tellingly, many of those reviews don't contain a single word of critique. That says it all.

This documentary is a moving, thoughtful portrait of a once-in-a-generation leader. I loved it.

Nice. Kept me engaged and interested. Having been to New Zealand just prior to the major events taking place (the mosque, weapons ban and covid) it was interesting to see how Ardern's views and decisions were made based on being a mother with her small newborn daughter. I think the documentary was able to capture the stress, the feelings, the anxiety, the immense responsibility that any politician or decision maker might feel during a stint in office. Certainly nothing to take lightly and I feel that the film makers ability to capture that mantle that lies on world leaders was fantastic. I applaud PM Jacinda Ardern for her resolve as such a young female leader.