In New Zealand, the announcement of an American film about the Christchurch tragedy was not unanimous

A movie about the Christchurch shooting, which killed 51 people two years ago, will be the subject of a movie. This announcement by American production company FilmNation sparked outrage in New Zealand as well as the launch of a petition already signed by more than 70,000 people, calling simply to abandon the project. why ? Because it is too early, in their opinion, to return to the narration of such a painful drama. “It’s only been two years and the surgeon is still alive.”, explain Zahadi Naam, a member of the National Islamic Youth Association, who is behind this petition.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will also be the subject of the film as well as her response to this crisis. “While we believe the Prime Minister acted in a remarkable way in the face of these attacks, the story should not focus on it, but on the stories of the 51 martyrs and their families, as well as on the Islamophobia problems that have sparked and led to this tragedy.”Confirms Zohadi Yes.

This view is also shared, for example, by the mayor of Christchurch, who warned that in the event of filming, the team would not be welcome in her city.
Jacinda Ardern, who would thus be the focus of this film, didn’t take an extreme stance like Mayor Lianne Dalziel, but she nonetheless made it clear that she was of the same opinion as the petitioners. The Prime Minister stated this on Monday 14 June during a press conference.

This event is still very much in our memory. And more to the victimized community

Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand

at a press conference

“I agree that there are stories of March 15th that have to be told at some point. The story of our Muslim community, they are the ones who should be the center of the story. I don’t think it is necessary to tell my story”, Jacinda Ardern epilogue.

So it is a great support for those who are against this project and who are starting to pay, as, on Monday, one of the film’s producers announced its withdrawal from the project. The petitioners congratulated themselves on this, of course, but also warned that they did not intend to stop there and that they would continue to apply pressure until this film project was completely abandoned.