Malia Obama's decision to go by Malia Ann in her growing filmmaking career received a surprise wave of attention this week.
As film festival enthusiasts are already aware, Malia, the oldest daughter of Barack and Michelle Obama, uses her middle name and is credited as "Malia Ann" on her recent Sundance-screened short, "The Heart."
This is also how the 25-year-old Harvard grad was credited on last year's Swarm series, co-created by Janine Nabers and Donald Glover. On "Girl, Bye," the fifth episode of the Emmy-nominated Prime video drama, Malia received a teleplay credit alongside Nabers.
"This is an odd little story, somewhat of a fable, about a man grieving the death of his mother after she leaves him an unusual request in her will," Malia previously said of "The Heart," which screened in January as part of Sundance's Short Film Program lineup for 2024. "The film is about lost objects and lonely people and forgiveness and regret. But I also think it works hard to uncover where tenderness and closeness can exist in these things."
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It’s not clear why, exactly, Malia’s choice to not use her last name has suddenly become a conversation topic. What is clear, however, is that while some were quick to question or even mock the move, arguably more were just as quick to defend the decision.
Those with a more nuanced take astutely highlighted past examples of other artists taking a similar route early into their careers, including Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie, both of whom come from decidedly famous families in their own right.
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What's next for Malia Ann as a filmmaker? That remains to be seen. A wider release for "The Heart," which also screened as part of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival lineup, is expected at some point this year.
