Jacinda Ardern to Promote Documentary in Glasgow on November 21

Former New Zealand prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern will visit Glasgow on November 21, 2023, to promote the documentary film titled Prime Minister. The screening, held at the Glasgow Film Theatre, will be followed by a question and answer session featuring Ardern, marking her only in-person promotional appearance outside of London.

The film, which won the Audience Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, provides an intimate look at Ardern’s tenure as New Zealand’s leader. It combines personal footage shot by her husband with previously unreleased audio recordings from her time in office. Co-directors Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe explore both her public and private life, detailing her leadership during significant events such as a deadly volcanic eruption, the Christchurch mosque shootings that claimed 51 lives, and the global Covid pandemic.

Ardern’s journey began in August 2017 when she was appointed leader of the Labour Party, just weeks before the October general election that brought her into the role of prime minister. At that moment, she became the youngest female head of government in the world, assuming office at the age of 37. Notably, she also became the second elected head of government to give birth while in office, welcoming her daughter in June 2018.

In January 2023, Ardern announced her resignation, citing a lack of energy to continue in the role, stating she “didn’t have enough in the tank.” She later published her memoir, A Different Kind of Power, which was released in June 2023.

Tickets for the screening of Prime Minister, which includes the Q&A segment, will go on sale on October 28, 2023, at 13:30 from glasgowfilm.org and the GFT Box Office. The film is set for theatrical release across the UK and Ireland on December 5, 2023.

This event is expected to draw significant interest, reflecting Ardern’s impactful legacy and the public’s desire to engage with her story following her historic leadership.