They Are Us, the proposed film about the 2019 Christchurch shootings has received major backlash for its timing and narrative. Rather than focusing on Ardern’s response, New Zealand wants the film to be centred around stories of the community.
On March 15 2019, two consecutive mass shootings were carried out by an Australian terrorist that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed never to name. He opened fire in the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre killing 51 and injuring 40 people during Friday Prayer. These attacks were linked to an increase in white supremacy, racism and Islamophobia. Ardern earned global praise for her response to her attack.
“He sought many things from his act of terror, but one was notoriety – that is why you will never hear me mention his name.”
Source: BBC
The Attacks
Approximately 190 people were inside the mosque attending Friday prayer. 17 minutes prior to arriving the terrorist began live streaming on Facebook. Approaching the entrance of the mosque, he was greeted by a worshipper who said, “Hello, brother”. This man was the first victim to be killed in the attack.
51 people died and 40 were injured. Those killed were between ages 3 and 77, including a 4-year-old girl who had to be transferred to Starship Hospital in Auckland in critical condition. The 51 dead included citizens of Bangladesh, Egypt, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Pakistan, Palestine and Turkey, including IT entrepreneur and goalkeeper for the NZ national futsal team Atta Elayyan.
The Aftermath
The whole city of Christchurch remained in lockdown for 3 hours. And many events were cancelled once it was lifted. The third Test Cricket match between New Zealand and Bangladesh was cancelled. After the Bangladesh team were seconds from entering the mosque when the attack occurred, the player fled on foot to Hagley Oval.
Mayor of Christchurch Lianne Dalziel encouraged citizens to place flowers in the Botanic Gardens, as school pupils and other groups performed haka and waiata in honour of those killed. Street gangs including the Mongrel Mob, Black Power and the King Cobra’s placed members at mosques all around New Zealand as production during prayer time.
A week after the shootings, an open Friday prayer service at Hagley Park was attended by 20 000 people as well as Prime Minister Ardern. Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, announced that Pakistani emigrant Naeem Rashid, who died in an attempt to stop the shooter, would be posthumously honoured with a national award for his courage.
They Are Us
Film They Are Us is planned to focus on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s response to the attacks. The film will be produced by Ayman Jamal, Stewart Till and Philippa Campbell. Kiwi Andrew Niccol is set to write and direct, while Rose Byrne has been cast as Ardern. The title echoes words she used in a speech regarding the attack.
However, the New Zealand community are calling for the movie to be shut down. The film will take place one week after the events of the attack and will be centred around Ardern as she rallies the government and citizens of unity and to ban assault rifles in NZ.
As described by Hollywood Reporter, director Andrew Niccol said,
“They Are Us is not so much about the attack but the response to the attack…how an unprecedented act of hate was overcome by an outpouring of love and support.”
This narrative completely ignores the real victims of this attack. And therefore has received an extreme amount of backlash causing producer Philippa Campbell to resign. She stated in an article in The Guardian,
“I’ve listened to the concerns raised over recent days and I have heard the strength of people’s views. I now agree that the events of March 15, 2019 are too raw for film at this time and do not wish to be involved with a project that is causing such distress,”.
It’s Too Soon
One of the biggest reasons for the major unrest surrounding the film is that it is too soon. Just 2 years after the attack, families of the mosques and the city of Christchurch are still healing from such a traumatic event. Viewing a movie about the attack could trigger trauma in a lot of members of the community.
More than 60, 000 people have signed a petition to cancel the production of They Are Us. Sondos Qur’aan, co-founder of the National Islamic Youth Association, stated in an article on the ABC,
“I was taken aback by the fact someone thought two years on from the attack it would be OK to highlight this attack … from a perspective that doesn’t acknowledge or centre Muslim voices,”
“There is a grieving process. People are still dealing with injuries.”
“Seeing a story like this while you’re still seeing your community members suffer and mourn, it’s a really hard thing to deal with.”
And spokesperson Abdigani Ali acknowledged, “We all know and agree that it’s inevitable, that it’s something beyond our control… We ask for more time.”
Sidelining Victims
The New Zealand Community have clearly expressed that if any film goes into production surrounding these shootings, it must focus on the victims and community affected. Many have slammed They Are Us as having a “white saviour” complex and for not consulting the NZ Muslim community. They are also accused of attempting to profit from misery.
Focusing on the Prime Minister instead of the unsung heroes and victims of the attack reinforces the white saviour myth. The ABC reported that NZ Muslim Community advocate Guled Mire said, “[It’s] set to depict the Prime Minister and her journey, which feeds into this white saviour narrative, and it’s one that side-lines victims, and the perspectives of the survivors and the martyrs, their loved ones, and the repercussions that they’re still faced with today,”
Representation of Muslims
“We know all too well the consequences of Hollywood’s sloppy portrayal and misrepresentation of Muslims, and They Are Us is another example of lazy filmmaking that seeks to drive the same old narrative”,
Guled Mire wrote in a Newsroom article.
Additionally, the film is written and set to be directed by Andrew Niccol, who doesn’t have the best history when it comes to writing strong representations of people of colour. His past work in Gattaca and The Truman Show both feature little to no people of colour.
Hollywood and the Western film industry, in general, has a very poor history of correctly representing Muslims and more often than not resorts to stereotypes. Poor representation of the Muslim community in the past has lead to increased Islamophobia, racism or xenophobia. This is why it is so important for their representation to be done correctly in this film.
This is an opportunity to put more Muslims on screen. Focusing on Ardern takes away from the stories of courage and heroism shown by the people who experienced the attack.
Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, has distanced herself from the film. When asked about it in a conference she responded,
“This is very raw event for New Zealand and even more so for the community that experienced it,
“I agree that there are stories that at some point should be told from March 15, but they are the stories from our Muslim community so they need to be at the centre of that.
“I don’t consider mine to be one of the stories that needs to be told.”
The Potential in 10 Years Time
With enough time for the NZ Muslim Community and the city of Christchurch to heal, a story about the shootings could make a great film. However, the narrative has to revolve around members of the community and not just the Prime Minister.
The film should consider renaming the film “Hello, Brother”, the final words of Haji Daoud Nabi, the 71-year-old grandfather shot as he welcomed a stranger to his mosque. This in itself would shift the focus on the values of the Muslim community, showing their love and compassion.
An article by The Conversation highlights that the attack caused a lot of interfaith dialogue between many cultures. The two mosques were both spiritually cleansed by the Ngāi Tahu (the South Island’s main Māori tribe) and Muslim leaders together. Shortly after, marae (Māori meeting places) opened their doors to Muslim mourners, and mosques opened their doors in turn. Messages of aroha (love) and kia kaha (stay strong) were written outside mosques, and often translated into Arabic. These stories of cultures intertwining their traditions would go a long way in representing peace and love.
The filmmakers have forgotten the power that media and film have over society and how they shape perception of certain groups. Correctly positioning this story will have a great impact on reducing racism and Islamophobia. They do not have to leave Jacinda out of the story completely. She is one of the best political leaders in the world, and she is an important piece of this story, but not the only one.
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