After the beginnings of the short film by Malia Obama at the Sundance Film Festival in 2024, the budding filmmaker is accused of being inspired by his other director.
Natalie Jasmine Harris, whose court Grace Completed alongside Obama Heart During the festival last year, said he saw “a lot of similarities” between her title and Nike AD of the first girl with A’ja Wilson de la Wnba.
“At the beginning, I was confused, asking me if it was real,” Harris wrote in an initiate of business in his reaction to the discovery of advertising. “He presented two people playing Pat-Aa-Sake in a way that echoes a first scene from my 14-minute short film Gracewhich is a short black Gothic from the south of a girl who is baptized and who calls into question her feelings for her best friend. “”
The deadline contacted the representatives of Obama and Nike to comment.
Harris noted that she had met Obama (who uses professional credit Malia Ann) “to the director’s brunch and some other events” when their shorts were both in competition.
“At the start, I was disappointed and injured-not only for myself, but for my entire team,” she continued. “I sent advertising to friends who had the same reaction as me. One has set up a comparison of shooting photos.
“Since the publication of the online problem, there have been many people who do not understand my disappointment. They say to themselves:” You have not invented Pat-A-Sake. “And it’s very true.
The educated director of Nyu noted similar camera angles, framing compositions and color palettes between Grace and the nike ad.
“Over time, I passed this initial shock to a deeper frustration around how instances like this are very common – and I need to change,” wrote Harris. “It talks about a wider number of brands that do not support independent artists and opt for people who already have name recognition, which does not generate innovative films or an original narration. If they wanted these photos similar to my photos, why not get involved to make? ”
She added: “The road that worked for The Spike Lees and Steven Spielbergs in the world feel less viable today. If we are continuously neglected, how will the next generation of filmmakers exist?”
Harris said that she had not yet heard of Obama or Nike, “but I would like there to be a gratitude”, adding: “I was initially hesitant to express themselves, because it implies a daughter of a former president and a well-loved brand like Nike. Shouting something involving the WNBA was so hard because it means a lot for me personally, and he is already doing a lack of processors.
