“Prime Minister,” the critically-acclaimed documentary about New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern, is coming to CNN, TheWrap has exclusively learned. The movie will premiere on Nov. 16 at 9 p.m. ET/PT and will be followed by a roundtable discussion hosted by CNN anchor Abby Phillip that will only be available on CNN’s streaming offierings.
Presented by CNN Films, HBO Documentary Films, Magnolia Pictures and Madison Wells, the documentary will be available to stream the next day for subscribers who have access to CNN’s new streaming service, which launched last month.
The documentary comes from award-winning filmmakers Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz and has been praised as a “rare, intimate portrait” of this world leader, who was the prime minister of New Zealand from 2017 to 2023. “Prime Minister” was filmed over the course of seven years, starting with Arden’s unexpected rise to leadership when she became one of the youngest heads of state in the world at the age of 37. She also became the second ever world leader to give birth while in office. The film zeroes in on Arden’s empathetic approach to politics, especially in the face of national tragedy.
The film premiered during Sundance in January where it was awarded the Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary. “Prime Minister” is produced by Cass Avery, Clarke Gayford, Leon Kirkbeck, Gigi Pritzker, Rachel Shane and Katie Peck. Executive producers include Chris Matson and Michael Cleaver. The documentary is a Dark Doris production in association with Divergent Pictures.
As for the roundtable discussion, Phillip will explore themes of “Prime Minister” during the presentation, specifically “the evolving role of compassion in global politics,” a press release for the special reads. Notable women thought leaders, journalists and cultural figures will reflect on Arden’s legacy throughout the follow up.
