Jacinda Ardern pans mosque attacks film amid backlash

Wellington: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday criticised a planned movie about her response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks as poorly timed and focussed on the wrong subject.

The US-backed film "They Are Us" has sparked an intense backlash among New Zealand Muslims, with community leaders slamming the project for pushing a "white saviour" narrative.

Ardern said the attacks -- when a white supremacist gunman ran amok at two mosques during Friday prayers, killing 51 and seriously injuring another 40 -- remained "very raw" for many New Zealanders. She said filmmakers had not consulted her about the movie, which is set to star Australia’s Rose Byrne as the centre-left leader.