Finally watched this - I'm a Kiwi myself

I've been reading a few of the threads here to see what people are saying it in conjunction of my own feelings.

Prior to watching it I had heard how heart breaking and moving it is.

There is a LOT of incorrect or jaded information here from New Zealanders answering people outside of New Zealand asking questions aimed at the similarities to life in NZ.

I'm going to correct that.

First, is New Zealand really this bad? The answers you've received are almost all incorrect and provided based on a LACK of information such as not knowing of the areas that are that bad.

The answer is it depends where you live. There are areas similar to the film where people are doing little more than surviving for no purpose other than to keep fighting against their fate. And there are places that are much worse than that, other New Zealanders can feel free to contest this but you'd only be doing so by not having been there, whereas I have lived there.

This film is extremely tame and peaceful in comparison to a lot of people's realities over here. Our government has oppression down to a science where we suffer as individuals rather than as a collective, it works because people want to look away and the government gives them that option on a silver platter. Out of sight, out of mind.

I have lived or traveled all over NZ from beneath Invercargill to far North of the North Island and many places in between. For many this country, or - this world, is a terrifying and unforgiving place that we never escape. If you think you have lived in NZ and haven't seen this for yourself, then you're one of the ones looking the other way.