Michelle Obama Steps Out In Support Of ‘American Symphony,’ Award-Winning Documentary About Musician Jon Batiste And Wife Suleika Jaouad
deadline.comMichelle Obama is giving a boost to American Symphony, the Oscar-contending documentary about musician Jon Batiste and his wife, musician Suleika Jaouad.
The former first lady introduced the Matthew Heineman film at a special screening Thursday night in New Orleans, a place of special significance for Batiste, who was born in nearby Metairie, Louisiana and raised in Kenner just outside N.O.
proper. Michelle and Barack Obama are executive producing the Netflix film through their Higher Ground production company, which has a distribution deal with the streaming platform. “I’m beyond thrilled to be here in Nawlins with all y’all!” Mrs.
Obama began (she noted Barack Obama’s absence at the event, sharing “My husband, he’s not here. He says, ‘Hey.’”). “There is no better place to lift up this work than in the city where music is at the heart of everything, because music is at the heart of this film.” Heineman’s documentary tracks the development of Batiste’s “wildly original symphony” (as the New York Times put it), a classical work that gives the film its title.
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