Barack and Michelle Obama have been very busy, and their latest project “Becoming” will be hitting Netflix on May 6. Expect Donald Trump to try to play ‘shiny object’ as media will focus heavily on the former first lady.
The documentary is described as “an intimate look into the life of former first lady Michelle Obama” and chronicles her 34-city book tour in 2018-2019 for her best-selling memoir “Becoming.” Obama’s promotional tour, managed by the concert promoter Live Nation, had the scale of a rock tour, with a string of dates at sold-out arenas. She made over $36 million from the book and was the highest-paid author in 2019 behind James Patterson and J.K. Rowling.
Save the Date: May 6, 2020
The film will debut May 6 on Netflix. In a statement, Obama said the experience of the tour “drove home the idea that what we share in common is deep and real and can’t be messed with.”
“We processed the past and imagined a better future. In talking about the idea of ‘becoming,’ many of us dared to say our hopes out loud,” said Obama. “I treasure the memories and that sense of connection now more than ever, as we struggle together to weather this pandemic, as we care for our loved ones, tend to our communities, and try to keep up with work and school while coping with huge amounts of loss, confusion, and uncertainty.”
“Becoming” has sold more than 11 million copies and been translated into more than 20 languages. The former first lady’s popularity has made her a potentially pivotal figure in the 2020 presidential campaign. Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, recently said that he’d pick her as a running mate “in a heartbeat,” before adding that he didn’t think she had any desire to be part of presidential politics again.
Nadia Hallgren
Nadia Hallgren, a veteran documentary cinematographer making her feature directorial debut in “Becoming,” trailed Obama on the book tour from city to city. “She moves quickly and I had to learn to move with her,” said Hallgren. From the sound of it, Hallgren was able to have a lot of access to the former First Lady while also getting plenty of input from her.
The announcement came with a letter from Obama stating how the experience was far from a standard book tour. “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.”
“Becoming” is the latest release from Higher Ground Productions, the production company created by Barack and Michelle Obama. Their exclusive multi-film deal with Netflix has already proven fruitful. Their first film, “American Factory,” by Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, earlier this year won the Academy Award for best documentary. (The Obamas did not attend the Oscars, nor received a statuette.) Higher Ground was also behind the acclaimed recently released documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” by James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham.
She’s A Hugger
The former first lady acknowledged the timing is difficult for a film about community, and that social distancing doesn’t come naturally to her: “I’m a hugger,” she said. During the pandemic, Obama has read children’s books to kids stuck at home in an online series titled “Mondays with Michelle Obama.” “I’m here for you,” she said in her statement. “And I know you are here for one another.”
“Empathy is our lifeline here. It’s what will get us to the other side,” said Obama. “Let’s use it to redirect our attention toward what matters most, reconsider our priorities, and find ways to better remake the world in the image of our hopes.”
Obama was voted the most admired woman in 2018 and 2019, according to a Gallup poll. Her book “Becoming” became the best-selling memoir last year, selling more than 10 million copies.
In “Becoming,” Obama made her political aspirations clear. “I’ll say it here directly: I have no intention of running for office, ever,” she wrote.
Note From Michelle Obama With Netflix Announcement
A note from Michelle Obama
I’m excited to let you know that on May 6, Netflix will release BECOMING, a documentary film directed by Nadia Hallgren that looks at my life and the experiences I had while touring following the release of my memoir.
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. In talking about the idea of ‘becoming,’ many of us dared to say our hopes out loud.
I treasure the memories and that sense of connection now more than ever, as we struggle together to weather this pandemic, as we care for our loved ones, tend to our communities, and try to keep up with work and school while coping with huge amounts of loss, confusion, and uncertainty.
It’s hard these days to feel grounded or hopeful, but I hope that like me, you’ll find joy and a bit of respite in what Nadia has made. Because she’s a rare talent, someone whose intelligence and compassion for others comes through in every frame she shoots. Most importantly, she understands the meaning of community, the power of community, and her work is magically able to depict it.
As many of you know, I’m a hugger. My whole life, I’ve seen it as the most natural and equalizing gesture one human can make toward another — the easiest way of saying, “I’m here for you.” And this is one of the toughest parts of our new reality: Things that once felt simple — going to see a friend, sitting with someone who is hurting, embracing someone new — are now not simple at all.
But I’m here for you. And I know you are here for one another. Even as we can no longer safely gather or feed off the energy of groups, even as many of us are living with grief, loneliness, and fear, we need to stay open and able to put ourselves in other people’s shoes. Empathy is our lifeline here. It’s what will get us to the other side. Let’s use it to redirect our attention toward what matters most, reconsider our priorities, and find ways to better remake the world in the image of our hopes.
Even in hard times, maybe especially in hard times, our stories help cement our values and strengthen our connections. Sharing them shows us the way forward. I love and miss you all.