Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern to attend Glasgow documentary Q&A

Dame Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand, will visit Glasgow Film Theatre on November 21 for an exclusive Q&A following the Scottish premiere of the documentary Prime Minister, which won the Audience Award at Sundance. The film, co-directed by Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe, provides an intimate look at Ardern's seven years in office, featuring home footage shot by her husband and previously unheard audio, and covers major events like the White Island volcanic eruption, the Christchurch mosque shootings, and the Covid-19 pandemic. It also highlights her unexpected rise to leadership, becoming a feminist icon, giving birth while in office, and her eventual resignation, alongside her continued advocacy against isolationism and misinformation. The documentary has received praise for humanizing Ardern and contrasting her leadership style with figures like Donald Trump, but also faces criticism for glossing over some of the controversies and public dissatisfaction with her Covid restrictions. Tickets for the film screening and Q&A will go on sale October 28, and the documentary is set for UK and Ireland cinema release on December 5. The event marks Ardern’s only in-person appearance outside London to promote the film, hosted by Glasgow Film, an educational charity supported by Creative Scotland and Glasgow City Council.