Netflix, in tandem with Higher Ground Productions, has announced that former first lady Michelle Obama’s documentary, Becoming, will be available for streaming on Netflix beginning May 6.
Named after her New York Times Bestselling memoir published in 2018, Becoming follows Michelle Obama on a 34-city book tour she embarked on to promote her books recent publishing. While she spent nearly a decade in the business of White House affairs, this documentary offers the viewer a unique opportunity to experience the former first lady behind the scenes of her life on the book tour.
“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,” Michelle Obama said, according to Deadline.
“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.”
Higher Ground Productions, the production company that former President Barrack Obama and Michelle launched in 2019, will now have another film under their belt, including Oscar award winning documentary, American Factory.
Among the creative crew who have made the documentary possible are filmmaker and cinematographer, Nadia Halgren, who directed Oscar-short listed, After Maria, alongside Katy Chevigny, Marilyn Ness and Lauren Cioffi on board as producers. Higher Ground co-heads, Priya Swaminathan and Tonia Davis, are executive producers on the film, while Maureen A. Ryan is on board as a co-executive producer.
According to Variety, Halgren admits that filming the project proved strenuous and no easy task because Obama “moves fast” and always has Secret Service swarming around her, but she also notes that the work put into this documentary has rewarded her with developing a close relationship with Michelle off camera.
Along with a Netflix released trailer on the documentary, Michelle Obama offers a note on the release of Becoming, and a hopeful message as the coronavirus pandemic prevails: