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TONIGHT 9p ET/PT  

Step inside the world of Jacinda Ardern in Prime Minister, a documentary that reveals what it means to lead with compassion at the highest level. Ardern’s story is one of moral courage—she responded to national tragedy with empathy, banning assault rifles after Christchurch and protecting lives with bold COVID measures, always putting people first over politics. The film doesn’t shy away from the personal cost: you’ll witness her struggles with anxiety, burnout, and relentless public scrutiny, making her journey deeply human and relatable. Breaking every mold, Ardern became the world’s youngest female leader while pregnant and unmarried, proving that empathy and strength can redefine leadership. Ahead of the film’s premiere on CNN, we sat down with directors Lindsay Utz and Michelle Walshe for an exclusive Q&A conversation about their vision and process in making the film. Watch Prime Minister tonight on CNN at 9p ET/PT. Streaming the next day on the CNN App.

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What first drew you to Jacinda Ardern’s story, and how did you approach translating a deeply personal yet politically charged story into an emotional experience in the film? 

We were drawn to Jacinda because she represented something rare in politics: a young female leader who led from empathy. Michelle was in New Zealand living through it and seeing firsthand how she held space for people during some of the biggest crises of our modern times. Lindsay was watching from the United States, struck by how her leadership through COVID resonated around the world —all while being a new mother. We didn’t want to make a political film. We wanted to make something human that captured what it feels like to carry both deep compassion and enormous responsibility on your shoulders. 

How did you navigate the tension between Ardern’s public political image and the more vulnerable, human moments you wanted audiences to see? 

That tension became the heart of the film. We wanted people to experience Jacinda in a context where we hadn’t seen a world leader before. The camera often holds her in the quiet after the noise, in tender moments with her family, when the room empties and she’s left alone with her thoughts, or on her walk away from a podium. Those moments are where we find the relatable human behind the leader and witness the personal impact of her very public role. 

Were there moments during the making of the film that surprised you, times when the story revealed something unexpected about leadership, or about Ardern herself?  

We were both surprised by how much self-doubt and strength can exist together. She reminded us that leadership isn’t about being unshakable; it’s about being authentic to your values even when the world feels heavy. Watching her hold empathy and remain optimistic in moments that would harden most people changed the way we think about courage. 

How do you hope audiences will see Jacinda—or leadership more broadly—differently after watching the film? To that point, have there been any viewer responses since the film’s initial release that have stayed with you / inspired you? 

We hope audiences come away seeing that leadership rooted in care and empathy can still be powerful. We also hope people who don’t usually see themselves reflected in traditional ideas of leadership recognize something of themselves in Jacinda. What’s stayed with us most are the moments after screenings when young people have been visibly moved, saying the film gave them hope and optimism about the world. Those reactions, and the deep conversations that follow, have meant everything to us.