Michelle Obama about her daughter Malia who is the director but does not use her surname: “He is looking for his way”

Michelle Obama returns to talk about family business. This time the topic They are the daughters, Sasha, 23 years old, and in particular the firstborn Malia, 25 years oldwho chose to work in the world of cinema without using his surname. So the former US First Lady, on the microphones of the Kate and Oliver Hudson podcast, Sibling Revelryhe explained: «It is very important for their feeling of having earned what they are getting into the world. They want that they know that they work hard and not that they simply get things. They are very sensitive to this aspect».
The two young women since teenagers have always tried to show themselves independent: “They have certainly crossed a period in which there has been a removal, that moment when you are trying to distinguish yourself”. Now they only want that their skills are understood and appreciated for the commitment they put on. And this is the reason why Malia Obama has chosen not to use the surname to appear in the tail titles of the short film she wrote and directed, The Heartsent to the Sundance Film Festival in 2024. In that case she signed up as Malia Ann, which is the name of the deceased mother of Barack, Ann Dunham, who died in 1995. The fear was that the word “Obama” would have ended up obscuring the work done: “We told her: they know that you are you, Malia – explained Michelle Obama – but We respected the fact that he is trying to make his way».
Even the father, commenting on Malia’s decision on the podcast The pivot podcast In October 2024, he had used the same argument: «His first film was selected for the Sunday and other very exclusive film festivals and in the credits did not insert the surname. I said to her: “You know they will know who you are anyway”. And she replied: “I want me to look at him for what he is, without any association with the name Obama”». On that occasion, the former president confessed that Malia and Sasha are two “stubborn»Who wish to assert himself certainly not for” the fame of the family “:” The difficult for us – he admitted speaking also on behalf of his wife – is to help them but realizing that our daughters are very sensitive on this “.
The presidential couple has repeatedly returned to the theme of the daughters and on the need that they could live the period to the White House without excessive pressure: “Their attitude – said the former president – has always been:” We didn’t want this situation “. They have always been with their feet on the ground ». At the time of the presidency, he has repeatedly asked journalists not to involve or follow his daughters, and it is happy that he actually went like this. A tiring job, but of which the Obama seem happy: “With age, I think they are grabbing our educational principles. They have a clearer understanding of why we did many of the things we did, “concluded Michelle Obama.