For the past two years, Michelle Obama has earned the title of the most admired woman in the United States. Be it her role as America’s first lady, spanning nearly a decade, or the publication of her memoirs, Becoming, an instant best seller, it is clear that Obama has more strings to her bow than an Olympic archer. Following her tenure as FLOTUS, she made the decision to work with Netflix in a producing capacity, alongside her husband Barack.
However, in a surprise announcement yesterday, it has been revealed that the camera has been turned on Obama once more, with a documentary following her book tour around 34-city book tour to be released on Netflix on 6 May.
The documentary, shot by Bronx-born Nadia Hallgren, already known for her work on Hurricane Maria, hopes to provide a “rare and up-close look at her life” following her move from FLOTUS to a life out with the White House.
In a statement, Obama wrote that: “Those months I spent traveling — meeting and connecting with people in cities across the globe — drove home the idea that what we share in common is deep and real and can’t be messed with.
“In groups large and small, young and old, unique and united, we came together and shared stories, filling those spaces with our joys, worries and dreams. We processed the past and imagined a better future.”
Hallgren has noted the unique nature of this particular job, especially due to her subject’s special status. She said: “For security reasons alone, she’s flanked by Secret Service everywhere she goes. She moves quickly and I had to learn to move with her.”
Michelle and Barack Obama’s production company, Higher Ground Productions, is the mastermind behind this latest documentary. The multiyear deal, established two years after Barack’s tenure as president ended, has already proven successful, winning an Oscar for American Factory, while Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, has already received rave reviews.
Becoming is released on 6 May on Netflix.
