The film-makers proposed to focus on Ardernâs response in the aftermath of the attack, which immediately drew backlash for centring the story on the leadership of a white woman. Many Muslim New Zealanders criticised the move as âexploitativeâ, âinsensitiveâ, and âobsceneâ.
The filmâs announcement also triggered an online petition which received nearly 75,000 signatures and compelled the filmâs producer, Philippa Campbell, to resign from the project.
The 124-page script, written by New Zealand-born Andrew Niccol, was leaked to Newshub on Sunday.
Earlier this year, Niccol told the Hollywood Reporter that âThey Are Us is not so much about the attack but the response to the attack ⦠how an unprecedented act of hate was overcome by an outpouring of love and support.â
They Aren t Us film transcript worse than the live stream, say victims families
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المتنبي والوعود الانتخابيَّة
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Photo credit: Newshub.
The first death is written to be filmed from a low, oblique angle with the victim seen falling towards camera before their body wipes the frame to black .
Naeem Rashid was one of the heroes on March 15 - he tried to grab the gun from the terrorist. But the
They Are Us draft script has him killed without doing that.
Widow Ambreen Naeem wanted to read her family s part of the script too - she then described it as distressing and retraumatising . It s unethical, totally immoral and unacceptable, she added.
Some of the deaths are intended to be shown with large amounts of blood - including Tahla Naeem, son of Ambreen and Naeem.