PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HIGH COMMISSION OF NEW ZEALAND

My Year with Helen spans a short period of former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark’s life as she campaigns to be the first female Secretary-General of the United Nations. As we know, Clark unfortunately did not make it, but this look at Clark’s year of campaigning offers great insight at the inner workings of world politics.

The voting system reminded me of something similar to FIFA and the 2022 World Cup bid, where people say they will vote for you and don’t. The difference is that the six elections that took place between July and October of 2016 all seem above board, with this election essentially being a popularity contest over a matter of choosing the ‘best candidate’.

Clark is an effective and well organised operator and has prepared the homefront well. The documentary shows her relationship with her 94-year-old father, and husband. She has cooked three months’ worth of meals in advance for her father back in New Zealand and stocked up his fridge before embarking on her campaign. She talks about the hardship of changing a system that has had the Secretary-General position held by men since 1945. Unfortunately, Clarke will need to wait until 2021 to try again.