On Monday, Netflix released the official trailer for Becoming, the documentary film about former first lady Michelle Obama.
The feature shares the same name with Obama’s bestselling 2018 memoir, which went through popular book tour at over 34 cities. The memoir recounts Obama’s intimate details of her life before, during, and after her role as the U.S’s first lady, while following her on the successful book tour.
Netflix released the following synopsis: “Becoming is an intimate look into the life of former First Lady Michelle Obama during a moment of profound change, not only for her personally but for the country she and her husband served over eight impactful years in the White House. The film offers a rare and up-close look at her life, taking viewers behind the scenes as she embarks on a 34-city tour that highlights the power of community to bridge our divides and the spirit of connection that comes when we openly and honestly share our stories.”
The trailer opens up with Michelle starting from the beginning phases of her life, being born in the south side of Chicago in what she calls a “typical working class community.” Clips of Obama on her book tour show her talking about being underestimated by her high school guidance counselor. In response to a question on she perseveres as a black woman, she quotes, “We can’t afford to wait for the world to be equal to start feeling seen. I feel like I gotta share with you all that the energy that’s out there is much better than what we see.”
A montage of her interacting with her beloved family, including her mother, presidential husband, and her two girls ensue as she concludes at the end of the trailer, “This is totally me. Unplugged for the first time.”
Becoming marks the feature directorial debut of cinematographer Nadia Hallgren. The documentary marks the latest film from Higher Ground, which is the production company Barack and Michelle Obama formed in 2018 and signed an exclusive pact with Netflix. The company hosts other films, such as Crip Camp, a film about a summer camp for teens with disabilities, and American Factory, which won the Best Documentary Feature Oscar in 2020.
Becoming will be available to stream on Netflix on May 6. Watch the trailer below:
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