Plans to try to make a movie about the 2019 terrorist attacks on two mosques in New Zealand drew widespread criticism on Friday.
The film, which depicts the aftermath and focuses on New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s statements about a gunman’s killing of Muslim worshipers, drew criticism in New Zealand for not focusing on the victims of the attacks.
And the film site “Deadline” reported that Australian actress, Rose Byrne, is nominated to portray the role of the Prime Minister of New Zealand in the film, which will be titled “They are us”.
He added that the New Zealand screenwriter, Andrew Nicole, who has previously written screenplays for famous American films, including “The Terminal” starring Tom Hanks and “The Truman Show” by Jim Carrey, will write and direct the film.
The events of the film will focus on the days after the 2019 attacks, in which 51 people were killed at two mosques in Christchurch.
The film project will also feature New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s response to the attacks, how people rallied behind her message of compassion and unity, and her successful call for a ban on the most deadly semi-automatic weapons.
Rose Byrne has been cast as New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in ‘THEY ARE US’.
The film follows Ardern’s response the week following the 2019 Christchurch attacks on New Zealand’s Muslim community.
(Source: Deadline) pic.twitter.com/jkH7lA9LkZ
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) June 10, 2021
The film’s title, “They Are Us”, was chosen from the words Ardern spoke in her famous speech, which came shortly after the attacks, to universal acclaim.
Despite this, many New Zealand residents expressed their disapproval of the film, including Aya Al-Omari, whose older brother Hussein was killed in the attacks.
A spokesman for the Muslim League in Canterbury, Abdijani Ali, said that “the community has realized that the story of the attacks must be told,” adding: “We want to ensure that this is done in an appropriate, real and sensitive manner.”
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s office said in a brief statement that she and her government had nothing to do with the new film.