Netflix's Monday Surprise Involves Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama sold more than 11 million copies of her memoir Becoming. She could reach even more people with Becoming the documentary. In a Monday surprise, Netflix announced that it would release the film on May 6. Directed by Nadia Hallgren, the documentary shadows Obama throughout her 34-city tour to promote her memoir, presenting an "intimate" and "rare and up-close" peek into her life, reports the Guardian. It has this statement from Obama: "It's hard these days to feel grounded or hopeful, but I hope that like me, you’ll find joy and a bit of respite in what Nadia has made."

She continues, "Because she’s a rare talent, someone whose intelligence and compassion for others comes through in every frame she shoots. Most importantly, she understands the meaning of community, the power of community, and her work is magically able to depict it." Hallgren is behind the documentary short After Maria, which looked at how Hurricane Maria impacted Puerto Rican families. The AP reports Hallgren had this to say of Obama: "She moves quickly and I had to learn to move with her." (More Michelle Obama stories.)