The daughter of a Christchurch terror attack victim is urging filmmakers behind the planned They Are Us movie to look within their humanity and reconsider the film.
Newshub was leaked an early draft of the script for the film earlier this week. They Are Us plans to depict the shooting over 17 pages according to the draft script, which translates to around 17 minutes' screen time.
Victims' families who have seen a draft script of the movie say it is worse than the terrorist's livestream.
Maha Elmadani, whose father was killed in the attacks, says reading the draft script made her "feel really sick" and like she was "going through the livestream" of the shooting again.
"I never thought I'd have to be in this position where I literally have to reach out to the basic humanity in people and tell them to just look within and really question whether what they're doing and what they're being part of is okay," she told The Project on Monday.
"I'm truly of the belief that this is all financially motivated, and I think that's what makes it more problematic is that we've had to deal with the murders of our loved ones, it's already been made public once, why make it public again."
Elmadani wants the filmmakers to reconsider the film and asks them to put themselves in the victims' shoes.
"If this was your story and it was being told without your permission, would you think it was okay? Just look within your humanity, that's all I can ask for."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who will be played by Australian actress Rose Byrne in the movie, said earlier on Monday that while she can't stop the film from being made, she has a message for its producers.
"Whilst I don't have the ability to stop any piece of television or any piece of [a] film being made, what I can ask is for those producers to listen," she told The AM Show on Monday. "Listen to those who are most deeply affected."
Ardern noted that many New Zealanders don't feel right about the film.
"I cannot imagine what it would be [like] to lose someone under such horrific circumstances and then have it re-enacted for the world to see.
"As has been reported, there are inaccuracies as well.
"We've said all the way through that we wouldn't want a place where we have the ability to stop film or television being made - but I think there are other ways to answer this problem and that's by having those who are seeking to make it, to hear people."
Watch the video above.
