Barack-Michelle Obama introduce Netflix docu 'Descendant' at African-American film fest
Former US President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance during the opening night of the Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival (MVAAFF) on Friday. The duo had attended the event to celebrate the opening night screening of their Netflix documentary—Descendant. Additionally, the Obamas' production house Higher Ground Productions will be presenting the upcoming Netflix documentary. Here are more details.
When streaming giant Netflix acquired the worldwide rights to the Sundance Film Festival award-winning documentary back in January, the Obamas agreed to present the title alongside the streamer and Participant Media. The documentary had reportedly earned a US special jury award for Creative Vision at the Sundance fest. Descendant, the Netflix documentary, is said to premiere on the streaming platform later this year.
The documentary centers on members of Africatown, a small community located in Alabama. Through the course of the documentary, the members share their personal stories and community history as descendants of the Clotilda—the last known slave ship that illegally brought captives from Africa to the US. Interestingly, the existence of the ship, which was a centuries-old open secret, was confirmed by marine archeologists recently.
During the event, the former first lady of the US said, "We have to tell our stories to our younger folks. We have to be the ones, we cannot follow that tradition of keeping our pain silent, because what this film shows us is our stories are the power that makes us seen." She also added that the truth should be told.
Obama also took the stage to share his thoughts about the upcoming documentary and the idea behind their production house. He mentioned that after they left the White House, they realized the "importance of stories and who tells stories and what stories are valid and what stories are discounted." The MVAAFF kicked off on Friday (August 5) and will continue till August 13.
