Christchurch Mosque shooting

The movie, They are Us, will focus on the prime minister's response in the week following the attacks, and is set to star Australian actress Rose Byrne as Jacinda Ardern.

Ardern said in a statement that plenty of stories from 15 March could be told, and she does not consider hers to be one of them.

New Zealand's Muslim community has come out against the film, saying the focus on the prime minister, rather than the victims, is wrong, and it is just Hollywood profiting off the community's pain.

There was a sense of grief - but also one of defiance - in the air as almost 90 people spoke about the incident that killed 51 people in Christchurch.

Dozens more were injured when Tarrant opened fire on two mosques last year.

He has chosen not to speak in court before his sentencing on Thursday.

The 29-year-old Australian has pleaded guilty to 51 counts of murder, 40 attempted murders and one charge of terrorism.

He faces life in prison, possibly without parole - a sentence never before imposed in New Zealand.

In March, Brenton Tarrant made a late guilty plea to 51 charges of murder, 40 of attempted murder and one under the Terrorism Suppression Act.

He is due to be sentenced on 24 August.

Tarrant appeared via audio-visual link (AVL) in Christchurch High Court this morning where he waived his rights to a lawyer to represent himself for sentencing.

His previous lawyers Shane Tait and Jonathan Hudson withdrew their application to represent him.