3 hours ago
1
Malia Obama is being accused of copying an indie filmmaker’s work for her Nike commercial released earlier this month — the first ad the former president’s daughter has directed.
Natalie Jasmine Harris, 27, said Obama’s one-minute commercial had scenes that were “shockingly similar” to her own 2024 short film “Grace.”
The scene in question is one in which two young Black girls play pat-a-cake.
“It’s not about the game,” Harris noted to Business Insider. “It’s about the cinematic tools used to depict it.”
Harris said there were a lot of technical similarities — from the camera angles to the shots to the framing composition and the color palette.
“I know art often overlaps, but moments like this hit hard when you’ve poured your heart into telling stories with care and barely get the recognition you deserve. If brands want a certain look, why not hire from the source instead of for name recognition,” she posted on X.
“It’s devastating,” she wrote, next to a side-by-side comparison of the shots.
Harris says she isn’t frustrated with Obama herself, but with the industry.
“It speaks to a larger issue of brands not supporting independent artists and opting for folks who already have name recognition, which doesn’t breed innovative films or original storytelling,” said Harris.
The two met at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, when Harris screened the 14-minute “Grace” and the two had films in competition in what was Obama’s red-carpet debut, after the former first daughter said she’d drop her last name to avoid being labeled a nepo baby.
Nike and Obama didn’t return The Post’s request for comment.
English (US)