A New Zealand Muslim group wants to halt a controversial film about the Christchurch mosque shootings they say 'whitewashes' the tragedy

An upcoming film set to focus on New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings recently lost a producer in response to continued criticism from New Zealand Muslims and the prime minister herself.

Since the film, titled "They Are Us," was announced last week, critics have denounced it for dramatizing the traumatic events of the shooting, which occurred just over two years ago, and for not centering the experiences of Muslim residents of Christchurch in its retelling. Producer Philippa Campbell departed the film this month after listening to the "concerns raised over recent days," she said in a statement obtained by the Hollywood Reporter. She wrote that she now agrees that the events of the shootings are "too raw for film at this time" and she does "not wish to be involved with a project that is causing such distress."