They are us is the new project that director Andrew Niccol ( Gattaca , In time ) would be leading on the response to the attacks that in 2019 killed 51 people in New Zealand. Actress Rose Bryne ( Damn Neighbors , Insidious ) will take on the role of Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand who sang the title phrase for the film and was part of an emotional speech in favor of the victims of the attack. terrorist. They are us focuses on how was the handling and response of politicians to the act of the mosque but then … Where is the controversy around this representation of the conflict through the Prime Minister of New Zealand?
Well, once the headlines with the supposed argument on which the plot would focus (thanks to The Hollywood Reporter) began to appear reactions of Muslim survivors, writers and activists sharing their outrage on networks with the hashtag #TheyAreUsShutdown , using the “ shut down ” to refer to the cancellation of the movie. Criticism has been a trend, with many protests as a result of how the horrors of the mosque are used for the development of the white character.
Mohamed Hassan from The NZ Herald expressed his discomfort: “The film has chosen to focus not on the tragedy and the victims , but on the prime minister and the rest of the country and their response.” In addition, the journalist continued with his criticism, “It is sold as a story to feel good, a portrait of heroism in the face of terror. In essence , it is a story about an act of white supremacy that focuses on white voices, white sentiments and white heroism . Imam Gamal Fouda, who was present at the time of the attack, made it clear that “it is important that the film reflects the events and what really happened instead of giving confusing messages .” These protests are in addition to the report a few days ago, which established the low impact and visibility that the Muslim community has in commercial English-speaking cinema.
For her part, Minister Ardern has been distant with the film, making it clear that neither she nor her government have had any kind of participation in the project.
