Producer of film on Christchurch mosque attacks resigns amid outrage

Philippa Campbell, the producer of the film ‘They Are Us’, has pulled out of the project over mounting criticism.

The forthcoming movie project is to dwell on the two consecutive mass shootings that occurred at two mosques in a terrorist attack on Christchurch in New Zealand during a Friday prayer that took place on March 15, 2019.

It is also supposed to touch on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s role during the shooting that claimed 51 lives.

The film was announced by the Hollywood Reporter on Friday, and billed as a “story about the young leader’s response to the tragic events.”

However, the project came under fire for focusing on the leadership of a white woman after the murder of 51 Muslims by “a white supremacist”. A petition to shut down its production gained about 60,000 signatures in the past three days.

In a statement released on Monday, Campbell said she was resigning from the proposed production, although the New Zealand producer’s resignation does not mean that the US-backed movie project is off the table.

“I’ve listened to the concerns raised over recent days and I have heard the strength of people’s views,” she said, according to BBC.

“I now agree that the events of March 15, 2019, are too raw for the film at this time and do not wish to be involved with a project that is causing such distress.

“The [film’s] announcement was focused on business and did not take enough account of the political and human context of the story. It’s the complexity of that context I’ve been reflecting on that has led me to this decision.”

‘They Are Us’ is expected to be directed and written by Andrew Niccol, a New Zealander, who wrote and directed ‘Gattaca’​.