Don't judge a book by its cover. In an interview given to the podcast Pivot and broadcast Wednesday October 30, Barack Obama spoke with several interlocutors about the future of America, the presidential elections fast approaching, but also about family. On this occasion, he revealed what he thought of his eldest daughter's decision, Malia Annto abandon his last name in his professional context.
The 26-year-old young woman recently took her first steps in the film industry in 2023 by directing her first short film, Heart, but Obama's name remained absent from the credits. “Her first film went to Sundance and all these famous film festivals but she didn't use Obama as the director's name for the credits,” notes the former president. He recounted the discussion he had with her about this. Barack Obama reportedly warned her that she would always be identified as belonging to the Obama family, with or without her last name. To which Malia Ann would have replied that she wanted her audience to watch her film without thinking about that. Parent of two daughters with Michelle Obamahe adds that neither Malia Ann nor Sasha23, are not interested in using their status to climb the ladder. “Our challenge is to let them accept our help but it is a very sensitive subject and they are very stubborn about it,” says the former president.
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An impressive CV
Malia Ann has a career that is impressive to say the least. Before devoting the last two years to the production of her short film, the young woman graduated from Harvard in English. She then worked as an additional writer on the series Swarmcreated by Janine Nabers et Donald Glover and also did an internship on the set of the series Girls of Lena Dunham before joining the Weinstein Company.
His choice to abandon his last name was nevertheless strongly criticized. Many did not see the point in hiding her name for the young woman, clearly identified and identifiable as belonging to the Obama family. It must be said that she is, to say the least, noticed when she walks the red carpet, as she was able to do at the Deauville American Cinema Festival where she was awarded the New Generation prize.
