Podcasts about they are us

ONE WHISTLEBLOWER TELLS US ABOUT ALIENS THAT COME FROM 45K AND 52K YEARS IN THE FUTURE! ON TOP OF THAT! THEY ARE US!!! FROM THOUSANDS OF YEARS IN THE FUTURE, BOTH AT WAR WITH EACH OTHER!!! IS THIS SCIENCE FICTION OR SCIENCE FACT? LET'S CHECK IT OUT!!1 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lockdown-universe/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lockdown-universe/support

When Fara was 16, her and her family left South Africa to move to New Zealand permanently, with the intention of building a better and brighter future. But what lay ahead of them wasn't exactly the experience they had hoped for.The racism they experienced in New Zealand was like nothing they ever went through in South Africa. And for Fara, life threw her something completely out of left field when she was coming to the end of high school: a baby.In this episode, Fara has a candid and open conversation with me about her journey to where she is now. We talk about:- Leaving South Africa and what it's really like being an immigrant of colour in New Zealand; - The impact of the Christchurch shooting and the problem with "They Are Us" (the catchphrase echoed following the mosque shooting)- Raising her daughters in a society that constantly reminds them of how different they are;- What it was like having her first child at 18 and the stigma that comes with being a teen mumAs always, share and subscribe, follow on Facebookand Instagram, and reach out if you have any thoughts, feedback, or if you want to also share your story.

A Muslim community leader's disturbed at the idea a planned film about the mosque attacks could get Government subsidies.Official Information Act requests show producers of They Are Us were eyeing up as much as 20-million dollars in rebates.Islamic Women's Council spokesperson Anjum Rahman wants the Government to pull back on funding.She told Heather du Plessis-Allan it shows the privilege filmmakers have.They can get a subsidy by ticking boxes, but those impacted by the tragedy have no power."I would like to think that the communities, especially for a tragedy like this, would have some influence."Rahman said she would like to see the government pull back on the funding and doesn't want to see Ardern take centre stage in both the film and in the debate on the film.LISTEN ABOVE

Today on the show - we continued the crook chat from yesterday involving faeces and heard a great story that involves carpet... Paddy Gower was on the phone to talk about the "They Are Us" movie and why it's a terrible idea.  And Bryce is yet to redeem himself in the whole 'I'm smarter than a child argument". Today he went up against a 7 year old in a spelling bee.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest revelations about the script for the They Are Us movie has prompted Winston Peters to call on producers to quit while they're behind.Newshub has revealed the movie will reconstruct the terror attack, show Jacinda Ardern in her nightwear, Simon Bridges gets portrayed as being pro-guns, and David Seymour is replaced by an extreme right wing politician.The script also has Winston Peters wondering whether historical comments he made had inspired the gunman.Peters told Andrew Dickens that it's “rubbish” as the gunman was Australian and had likely never heard of the NZ First leader."What is rotten about this is it is so devoid of fact and truth." He says that the fact the NZ Film Commission has had the script is "astonishing in the extreme". LISTEN ABOVE

Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Lately. Colin Peacock talks to Karyn Hay about controversial sportscaster Martin Devlin reportedly returning to the radio; the Forever War in Afghanistan; football not coming home after all - but dominating the media.  

Mediawatch's weekly catch-up with Lately. Colin Peacock talks to Karyn Hay about controversial sportscaster Martin Devlin reportedly returning to the radio; the Forever War in Afghanistan; football not coming home after all - but dominating the media.  

This week Amal unpacks the proposed They Are Us film, the significance of apologies and why the words we use matter. This show was broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Live, werk, pose! Steven Canals, co-creator, executive producer, writer and director of Pose gets deep and meaningful with BL + BW, reflecting on the end of the award-winning series which has been hailed as groundbreaking for trans representation. Steven shares what it was like to be in the room when Billy Porter shared his HIV status with the cast and crew of Pose, and his view of the current TV landscape. Also, what do we think about the news that a Hollywood feature on the Christchurch terrorist attacks is in the works? The overwhelming early reaction has been ‘too soon'. And: our nostrils are flared, our orifices clenched at legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin's return to CNN. Show notes: Suspension of Jeffrey Toobin: https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdgm4/new-yorker-suspends-jeffrey-toobin-for-zoom-dick-incident Pose series finale recap: https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/pose-series-finale-recap-billy-porter-fx-1234989297/ They Are Us film makers defend motives :https://deadline.com/2021/06/they-are-us-new-zealand-muslim-tragedy-producers-defend-motives-jacinda-ardern-rose-byrne-1234775194/ Rose Byrne to play Prime Minister Jacinta Arden in They Are US: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/rose-byrne-jacinda-ardern-andrew-niccol-cannes-they-are-us-new-zealand-mosque-shooting-1234965908/ Mohamed Hassan's response on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mohamedwashere/status/1403108587740798982?s=20 Petition calling for shut down of They are us: https://www.change.org/p/filmnation-entertainment-shut-down-they-are-us-movie-which-side-lines-victims-of-the-march-15th-terrorist-attack?recruiter=1210874702&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=402d83f0-cba1-11eb-a45a-3d4cec3f6e2a

Live, werk, pose! Steven Canals, co-creator, executive producer, writer and director of Pose gets deep and meaningful with BL + BW, reflecting on the end of the award-winning series which has been hailed as groundbreaking for trans representation. Steven shares what it was like to be in the room when Billy Porter shared his HIV status with the cast and crew of Pose, and his view of the current TV landscape.Also, what do we think about the news that a Hollywood feature on the Christchurch terrorist attacks is in the works? The overwhelming early reaction has been ‘too soon'.And: our nostrils are flared, our orifices clenched at legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin's return to CNN.Show notes:Suspension of Jeffrey Toobin: https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdgm4/new-yorker-suspends-jeffrey-toobin-for-zoom-dick-incidentPose series finale recap: https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/pose-series-finale-recap-billy-porter-fx-1234989297/They Are Us film makers defend motives :https://deadline.com/2021/06/they-are-us-new-zealand-muslim-tragedy-producers-defend-motives-jacinda-ardern-rose-byrne-1234775194/Rose Byrne to play Prime Minister Jacinta Arden in They Are US: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/rose-byrne-jacinda-ardern-andrew-niccol-cannes-they-are-us-new-zealand-mosque-shooting-1234965908/Mohamed Hassan's response on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mohamedwashere/status/1403108587740798982?s=20Petition calling for shut down of They are us: https://www.change.org/p/filmnation-entertainment-shut-down-they-are-us-movie-which-side-lines-victims-of-the-march-15th-terrorist-attack?recruiter=1210874702&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=402d83f0-cba1-11eb-a45a-3d4cec3f6e2a

Live, werk, pose! Steven Canals, co-creator, executive producer, writer and director of Pose gets deep and meaningful with BL + BW, reflecting on the end of the award-winning series which has been hailed as groundbreaking for trans representation. Steven shares what it was like to be in the room when Billy Porter shared his HIV status with the cast and crew of Pose, and his view of the current TV landscape. Also, what do we think about the news that a Hollywood feature on the Christchurch terrorist attacks is in the works? The overwhelming early reaction has been ‘too soon'. And: our nostrils are flared, our orifices clenched at legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin's return to CNN. Show notes: Suspension of Jeffrey Toobin: https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdgm4/new-yorker-suspends-jeffrey-toobin-for-zoom-dick-incident Pose series finale recap: https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/pose-series-finale-recap-billy-porter-fx-1234989297/ They Are Us film makers defend motives :https://deadline.com/2021/06/they-are-us-new-zealand-muslim-tragedy-producers-defend-motives-jacinda-ardern-rose-byrne-1234775194/ Rose Byrne to play Prime Minister Jacinta Arden in They Are US: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/rose-byrne-jacinda-ardern-andrew-niccol-cannes-they-are-us-new-zealand-mosque-shooting-1234965908/ Mohamed Hassan's response on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mohamedwashere/status/1403108587740798982?s=20 Petition calling for shut down of They are us: https://www.change.org/p/filmnation-entertainment-shut-down-they-are-us-movie-which-side-lines-victims-of-the-march-15th-terrorist-attack?recruiter=1210874702&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=402d83f0-cba1-11eb-a45a-3d4cec3f6e2a

Live, werk, pose! Steven Canals, co-creator, executive producer, writer and director of Pose gets deep and meaningful with BL + BW, reflecting on the end of the award-winning series which has been hailed as groundbreaking for trans representation. Steven shares what it was like to be in the room when Billy Porter shared his HIV status with the cast and crew of Pose, and his view of the current TV landscape. Also, what do we think about the news that a Hollywood feature on the Christchurch terrorist attacks is in the works? The overwhelming early reaction has been ‘too soon'. And: our nostrils are flared, our orifices clenched at legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin's return to CNN. Show notes: Suspension of Jeffrey Toobin: https://www.vice.com/en/article/epdgm4/new-yorker-suspends-jeffrey-toobin-for-zoom-dick-incident Pose series finale recap: https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/pose-series-finale-recap-billy-porter-fx-1234989297/ They Are Us film makers defend motives :https://deadline.com/2021/06/they-are-us-new-zealand-muslim-tragedy-producers-defend-motives-jacinda-ardern-rose-byrne-1234775194/ Rose Byrne to play Prime Minister Jacinta Arden in They Are US: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/rose-byrne-jacinda-ardern-andrew-niccol-cannes-they-are-us-new-zealand-mosque-shooting-1234965908/ Mohamed Hassan's response on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mohamedwashere/status/1403108587740798982?s=20 Petition calling for shut down of They are us: https://www.change.org/p/filmnation-entertainment-shut-down-they-are-us-movie-which-side-lines-victims-of-the-march-15th-terrorist-attack?recruiter=1210874702&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=402d83f0-cba1-11eb-a45a-3d4cec3f6e2a

On this episode I share my experiences of being back in America, including my stay in Denver, rural Iowa, and Chicago. I also talk about the FBI, living in the city vs. living in nature, and the controversy behind the Christchurch movie. Los Angeles Times: FBI-made messaging app leads to global organized-crime sting. https://archive.ph/ljb25 The Guardian: Christchurch attacks: producer resigns from film They Are Us as criticism grows. https://archive.ph/POLdT Preferring city-living over living in nature linked to being a psychopath https://archive.ph/3DhkB Xendependently Minded is podcast of a 21 year old trying to figure out this strangely beautiful life we live. Weekly combat sports episodes and weekly news/rant episodes. Remember, it's just my humble opinion. Where to find me: Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/…/pod…/xen-podcasts/id1476108045… Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9kNDU0ZTI4L3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0W9iIqryRFYnGTIh8uWxS4 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/xendependently-minded Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabejb1999/ Twitter:Xendependentmma Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/XendependentlyMinded/ YouTube: Xendependently Minded Bitcoin: bc1q0duuqpqmnj03w79mnmpesafqx82pctdpu5ktvl Ethereum: 0x6271E11E181A072F0A7F0B5c963c5cc218F8E8e2 Cardano: addr1q86nftky8j346kxf7000xyp47fd5y52nltkuxtagp9c6cyh4xjhvg09rt4vvnu777vgrtujmgfg487hdcvh6szt34sfqz6npuu Polkadot: 136dXXuaRwTD6mzC8QD3ujbx3JdQFfHCzYXcsiwCv9C5kDJY XRP: rJ9FBDnf7ZPAabcLaAX6M9Fnf3S6PAiHnx Litecoin: LWMzKgFhNGxfyvKDnpFQBM7gBjiv1H5mFt --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/xendependentlyminded/support

Headlines $2.5m trial where pharmacists offer birth control counselling 'misrepresented'Christchurch attacks: producer resigns from film They Are Us as criticism End of Netanyahu eraRadiothon!Donate now - Phone: 9419 8377Text: 0488 809 855Online: Tuesday Breakfast GiveNow OR 3cr.org.au/donatePhuong speaks with Jeanine Hourani who is a Palestinian advocate, campaigner and educator who arried in Australia as a stateless Palestinian refugee in 1997. Jeanine is currently the Director of Road to Refuge, an organisation that aims to change the narrative around refugees and people seeking asylum by transferring the power of narrative back to those who are most directly impacted. Jeanine came on Tuesday Breakfast last month to talk to us about the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the ongoing fight to save Sheikh Jarrah. She came on today's show to talk about Refugee Week and upcoming events run by Road to Refuge.Evie speaks with Samantha Floreani, who is a digital rights activist currently working with Digital Rights Watch. She's written extensively about why digital privacy is a feminist issue. In light of a raft of bill proposals from the federal government seeking to overhaul the federal Privacy Act and introducing new measures that might potentially stifle free expression online under the guise of censorship, and multiple leaks of extremely sensitive personal information by police and federal agencies, there's no better time to examine the link between privacy and authority and what it means to us.Songs:U.N.I.TY - Queen LatifahIf you need to move on (sometimes) - Ladybug MeccaTabou-Roots Remix without Rap - Les Nubians

A political commentator has put his support behind a controversial Christchurch Mosque attack film.Almost 60,000 people have signed a petition against "They Are Us", a new movie set to focus on Jacinda Ardern's response to the March 15 attacks.The petition, led by the Muslim community, has criticised the film for focusing on the Prime Minister instead of the victims.However, former Labour Party member Chris Trotter told Heather du Plessis-Allan people can object, but no one owns the tragedy, which belongs to history."I think the story needs to be told again but it's a very, very good story, and I completely understand why the people behind this project want it to go ahead."He says that the Prime Minister and people of New Zealand responded to the tragedy in a way that astonished the world. Trotter says the victims of the tragedy are no more owners of this story than the terrorist Brenton Tarrant is. "There is a natural human response to wall in the pain and walled in the horror. But if we do that, then Brenton Tarrant wins, and the reason he didn't win is because New Zealand didn't win." LISTEN ABOVE

The Government is speeding ahead with incentives for electric vehicles but is facing backlash.New rebates for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will be introduced on July 1st - with fees on higher emitting vehicles to help fund the scheme starting next year.It follows the Climate Change Commission's advice to increase the uptake of low emission vehicles.Transport Minister Michael Wood says a discount on electric, hybrid and low emission vehicles, funded from a fee on higher emitting ones, is the best policy to increase uptake.Meanwhile, an Auckland film and television producer involved in a controversial Christchurch terror attack film has pulled out.Philippa Campbell has withdrawn from the team working on the proposed They Are Us movie.She says she deeply regrets the shock and hurt announcement of the film has caused.Campbell says it focused on film business, and didn't take enough account of the political and human context.A petition to scrap the film now has over 60,000 signatures.Listen above as Clare de Lore and Josie Pagani discuss the day's news with Heather du Plessis-Allan above

*) G7 vows action on Covid vaccines and climate change G7 leaders have vowed to start delivering one billion doses of Covid vaccines and step up action on climate change. The leaders of the rich countries' club largely responded to US President Joe Biden's push to regain the West's cohesion after Donald Trump's tenure. The Group of Seven agreed to increase climate finance contributions and meet an overdue spending pledge of $100 billion a year to help poorer countries. *) Naftali Bennett sworn in as Israel's new prime minister Israel's parliament has voted in favour of a new government to end Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year consecutive tenure as premier. Ultra-nationalist Naftali Bennett will head the new cabinet for a little over two years before his centrist ally Yair Lapid takes over. Palestinians described Bennett's take over as “internal Israeli affairs”, saying they didn't expect any positive changes from the post-Netanyahu government. *) Erdogan: Turkey and US must leave troubles behind at NATO meeting Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he and US President Joe Biden must use Monday's meeting to move on from past troubles. Erdogan said a wide range of issues, including a dispute over Turkey's purchase of Russian air defence systems, will be discussed during the meeting. Ties between the two NATO allies are strained over the US supporting YPG terrorists in Syria, harbouring FETO leader Fetullah Gulen, and removing Turkey from the F-35 jet programme. *) New Zealand's Arden criticises Christchurch film amid uproar New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has criticised a planned movie about her response to the Christchurch attacks. Ardern said the movie is poorly timed and focused on the wrong subject. The US-backed film “They Are Us” sparked a backlash among New Zealand Muslims who slammed the project for pushing a “white saviour” narrative. In 2019, a white supremacist gunman had killed 51 people and wounded 40 others at two mosques during Friday prayers. And finally ... *) Djokovic wins 19th Slam, beating Tsitsipas at French Open Novak Djokovic has beaten Stefanos Tsitsipas in the French Open final to win his 19th Grand Slam. Djokovic's second trophy at Roland Garros moves him one major championship away from tying the men's record of 20 Slams, shared by Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Australian Open champion Djokovic's win also puts him halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam, something no man has accomplished since Rod Laver in 1969.

Panellists Dr Ella Henry and Patrick Gower discuss a feebate for electric vehicles, the film They Are Us, and the disbandment of a School Strike for Climate group.

An online petition calling for a film on the Christchurch mosque attacks to be scrapped continues to gain momentum.The film "They Are Us" is only in planning at this stage, but already the petition's attracted more than 45,000 signatures.The movie is said to centre around Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her response to the crisis, with Australian actress Rose Byrne poised to play her. National Islamic Youth Association co-chair Haris Murtaza told The Weekend Collective they started the petition because of a lack of consultation with those affected."Whatever decisions are to be made should be victim-centric, and we haven't seen that."Whatever movie is to come out, I don't think anyone except the victims should have a direct and continued input into it."He says that, from his understanding, the Al Noor Mosque community hasn't been approached for consultation."Across the board, I'm yet to speak to someone who was spoken to or consulted on this matter."LISTEN ABOVE

The family of a March 15 terror attack victim has written to Hollywood star Rose Byrne asking her to refuse the role in a proposed new movie, saying it is too soon.Early plans for a new film, They Are Us, which would focus on the response by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern were revealed last week and met with outrage and horror by many of the victims' families and the wider New Zealand Muslim community.A petition launched on Friday night seeking to have the project cancelled has already been signed by more than 40,000 people.It says the movie sidelines the victims and survivors and instead centres on the response of a white woman, while calling on the funders, producers and the New Zealand film industry to boycott the film, and urges Ardern to publicly denounce it.The Prime Minister released a statement on Friday saying that film-makers did not consult her in any form about their plans.Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel also slammed the idea and said film crews would not be welcome in The Garden City.Now, the family of Linda Armstrong, who was shot dead at the Linwood Islamic Centre on March 15, 2019, by an Australian terrorist, has written directly to one of the film's proposed stars.Byrne has reportedly been slated to play Ardern – who was widely praised for her response to the shooting attacks on two city mosques that claimed the lives of 51 people.But Kyron Gosse, Armstrong's nephew, has written on behalf of his family to reach out to star actor Byrne to turn down the role, saying the family needs time to heal."Now is not the time, and this is not the story," Gosse writes."Please, turn down the role and give us time to heal."Gosse contacted the Herald to say he was "appalled" by the movie."Linda Armstrong was my aunt and she was one of the victims at the Linwood Mosque," he said."As such I have written an open letter to Rose Byrne requesting her not to take the role."The full open letter to Rose Byrne:Dear Rose, I urge you to rethink your role as Jacinda Ardern in the movie They are Us. We know that a movie being made about what happened on that dreadful day is inevitable, however for now it is too soon. It was only 27 months ago that our country was thrown into shock and turmoil. It was only 27 months ago that I had to google my aunt's name to see if she was alive or dead. It was only 27 months ago that I stood in her grave, lowering her lifeless body into the ground. Please, give us time. It was only 15 months ago that the one-year remembrance was cancelled by the onset of Covid. It was only 15 months ago that our family was forced to flee back home as borders shut, destroying our healing process. It was only 15 months ago that the terrorist pleaded guilty. Please give us time. It was only nine months ago that I stood face to face with the terrorist in the Christchurch High Court to deliver my victim impact statement. It was only seven months ago that the Royal Commission's report was released detailing that the terrorist's intentions should have been picked up by our intelligence agencies. It was only two months ago that the gunman requested a court appearance to challenge his designation as a terrorist. This story is far from over and for the families involved, we still live it every single day. Please, give us time. Two years is far too soon to be talking about Hollywood movies. In contrast: It took 85 years to release the Titanic movie. It took 16 years to release a 9/11 movie. It took six years to release the Deepwater Horizon movie. The time will come for this story to be told. When the right time does arrive, it is important that the right story is told, a story that focuses on the true heroes of the day. Now is not the time, and this is not the story. Please, turn down the role and give us time to heal. Yours faithfully, Kyron Gosse (on behalf of the Gosse family). 

Leanna, Bjorn and Josh talk things you will not share with your significant other, they get peoples thoughts on the They Are Us movie petition, Josh brings a whale of a tale and Bjorn cracks open an unbelievable uncooking fact... All that and more... It's how we start our day! Support Life FM: https://donate.rhemamedia.co.nz/?brand=lifefm&utm_source=omnystudio&utm_medium=link See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An online petition calling for a film on the Christchurch mosque attacks to be scrapped continues to gain momentum.The film "They Are Us" is only in planning at this stage, but already the petition's attracted more than 45,000 signatures.The movie is said to centre around Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her response to the crisis, with Australian actress Rose Byrne poised to play her. National Islamic Youth Association co-chair Haris Murtaza told The Weekend Collective they started the petition because of a lack of consultation with those affected."Whatever decisions are to be made should be victim-centric, and we haven't seen that."Whatever movie is to come out, I don't think anyone except the victims should have a direct and continued input into it."He says that, from his understanding, the Al Noor Mosque community hasn't been approached for consultation."Across the board, I'm yet to speak to someone who was spoken to or consulted on this matter."LISTEN ABOVE

On Friday evening, The National Islamic Youth Association started a petition asking for a film about Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's response to 2019's Christchurch terror attack, currently titled They Are Us, to be cancelled.As of this Sunday morning, the petition has gained almost 41,000 signatures.Over the years, I've watched a lot of films based on true events. They represent stories that should be told, stories that deserve to be told, stories that mark a moment in time or of great change.Depending on the subject, these films inform and provoke, entertain and uplift, move or horrify. They can be cautionary or motivating tales, and subjective or balanced.  Quite often people have tried to stop these movies been made – and failed. This is the movie business after all.But in the case of They Are Us, I think they've got it wrong. Making this film just doesn't seem right.While it's important to remember They Are Us is still in pre-production, it has received plenty of criticism, with some calling it "insensitive", "too soon" and an example of the "white saviour" mentality. It's hard to disagree.It is insensitive to the Muslim Community, and in particular those still dealing with ongoing trauma and grief - even if the script was developed in consultation with several members of the targeted mosques.It is also too soon for this story to be told. The film Munich told the story of the Israeli government's retaliation against the Palestine Liberation Organisation after the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics. It was released in 2005. 22 July told the story of the 2011 Norway attack by Anders Berivik. It was released in 2018. Hotel Mumbai told the story of a terrorist attack in India in 2008. It was released in 2018. And Out of the Blue, told the story of the tragic Aramoana massacre in 1990. It was released in 2006. That's gaps of 33 years, 7 years, 10 years and 16 years. The Christchurch terrorist attack happened in 2019.But I don't get the feeling this film is being made for us. I think it's been made for an international audience fascinated by our Prime Minister. And that brings me to the angle the film is taking. It's not so much about the attack as the response to the attack. It's apparently an inspirational story about our leader's response to the tragic events, and the remarkable achievements of her government and citizens to rally behind a message of compassion and a ban on assault weapons.I hope no one asks us how that ban is working out? Or if this was a case of too little too late? Or if it has New Zealand changed for the better and how?We're still working all this out. It's pre-emptive and embarrassing to be patting ourselves on the back just yet.I would have thought the vast, vast majority of New Zealanders were just extras in the story – not the heroes. The heroes were those inside the mosque; the victims and the survivors.The Prime Minister has said “There are plenty of stories from March 15 that could be told, but I don't consider mine to be one of them.” Well said.The story of the Christchurch attacks will be told at some point – but hopefully not like this.

I'm not a fortune teller. I don't have a five-year plan. I can't tell you what I'll eat for dinner tonight, let alone anything I'll be doing in two years' time.  But I can tell you right now with a very strong degree of confidence I will not be paying $21 to go to They Are Us, the film that apparently focuses on Jacinda Ardern's response to the Christchurch massacre.    I have nothing personal against the filmmaker. Andrew Niccol has actually written or directed two of my all-time favourite films. I think The Truman Show is genius. I love Gattaca.  They Are Us, on the other hand, makes me squirm.  It's not that I'm fundamentally opposed to a film about the events in Christchurch. I actually saw it as an inevitability. After all, we have a film about Aramoana. There's a Hollywood film about the Anders Breivik massacre in Norway.  But if the production of this film had actually considered the meaning behind its title, They Are Us, we wouldn't have seen so many people affected by the massacre respond in disgust. There is a more sensitive and tasteful way to go about these things. The filmmakers say they've sought scripting input from a few of those affected, but clearly many of those in what is a pretty small Muslim community here have been caught completely by surprise. It takes a lot of nerve to call a film ‘They Are Us' when you clearly haven't consulted sufficiently with the ‘They' you're talking about.   There's another thing. They Are Us. If the filmmakers believed those words, there's no way Jacinda Ardern would be the central character.   Here's a terrible tragedy committed by a white supremacist. Instead of focusing on the authorities' limited interest in white supremacy in the lead up to the massacre, instead of focusing on those who lost their lives, or the heroics of those in the mosque who tried to stop the gunman, we focus on Jacinda Ardern.    She did a good job in the heat of the crisis. But I'm sorry, she isn't the hero of this story. And as comforting as she might have been to the survivors and victims of the shootings and to the New Zealand public at large, her actions in those days could never have been enough to  heal the pain of those who clearly had been let down grievously by the wider government she represents.   You can just imagine the scene now: the actress Rose Byrne, standing alone, an exhausted and broken expression on her face, staring into a mirror. The music builds... orchestral strings. She looks down and picks up a simple scarf, wrapping it around her head.  ‘What are you doing?' asks one her advisors.   ‘They are us.' Says Jacinda Ardern. Eurgh.    Honestly, that whole ‘They Are Us' phrase really bothers me. I know many disagree with me and I'm not gonna' fight the fight again, but if we really meant ‘They Are Us,' the Crusaders would have changed their name. If we really meant ‘They Are Us,' then we might not have planned massacre anniversary commemorations, knowing that most Muslims don't mark anniversaries.   If they were us then we wouldn't us the word ‘They' at all.   But here's an easy one. An opportunity to live up to those words in a small way. If the Muslim community in Christchurch, the survivors of the attacks and the families of those who died, don't support this film, then They Are Us. I'll save my $21. LISTEN ABOVE 

A movie is being planned about the March 15 terror attacks, but it's caught many in the Muslim community by surprise. The film - which has a working title of They Are Us - will star Australian actress Rose Byrne as Jacinda Ardern, and will be directed by New Zealander Andrew Niccol. But some in the Muslim community feel blindsided and uneasy about it. Rachel Graham has more.