All Grown Up: Malia Obama Through The Years (8 of 9)

Malia Obama made her directorial debut in 2023

Her collaboration with Donald Glover extended beyond Swarm when his creative studio announced their work on her short film titled The Heart. Glover emphasized her unique challenges as Barack Obama’s daughter, acknowledging the pressure to succeed.

Describing her film, Malia called it “an odd little story, somewhat of a fable, about a man mourning his mother’s death and the unusual last wish she left him.”

The Heart premiered at film festivals including Toronto International Film Festival and Chicago Film Festival in 2023, with plans for a screening at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Despite minimal publicity, her foray into filmmaking showcases her commitment to storytelling beyond her famous lineage.

Malia opts for a different surname amid her Hollywood career

Malia made waves with her first film as a director at the Sundance Film Festival. The most interesting part is that she chose to go by the name Malia Ann, perhaps to carve out her own identity away from her father’s shadow. 

In her film “The Heart,” which runs for 18 minutes, she didn’t use her famous last name in the credits for her roles as writer and director. This choice sparked curiosity among fans, especially after a “Meet the Artist” video from the Sundance Institute introduced her as Malia Ann, highlighting her desire to stand apart from her parents, who have ventured into the entertainment industry with their production company, Higher Ground Productions.

Despite her attempt, people were quick to label her a “nepo baby,” accusing her of leveraging her family’s name for her career. One reviewer even bluntly stated, “Calling yourself ‘Malia Ann’ is not going to avert any Nepo Baby criticisms, Miss Former First Daughter.”

It should be said that neither Michelle nor Barack Obama made an appearance at Sundance when Malia, at 25, showcased her work on the red carpet for the first time.

Praised for her professionalism and talent, Malia has been recognized as a formidable writer and artist by “Swarm’s” co-creator Janine Nabers and Donald Glover himself. In interviews, they’ve both highlighted her skill and dedication, insisting that her family’s fame had no bearing on her work ethic or treatment in the industry. Glover expressed confidence in her future, noting her excellent writing style and making it clear that her relationship with the former president did not influence their expectations of her work.

However, critics at the Sunday Film Festival were not taken with Malia’s film. The feedback on the film critique platform Letterboxd was far from favorable towards the 25-year-old’s directorial attempt. A particularly scathing review remarked, “Honoring her father’s legacy by dropping a giant bomb and not receiving any criticism for it.” Additional unflattering comments on the site labeled the short film as a “real stinker,” a “half-baked short,” and “truly dreadful,” culminating in a modest average rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars.