Barack and Michelle Obama have finally announced the project slate for their Netflix-based Higher Ground Productions — and it does not disappoint. Currently, Higher Ground is producing seven projects, which are in various stages of development: three features and four TV series. Among the titles on the inclusive slate are two documentaries co-directed by women, and three TV projects developed, written, and/or created by women.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Higher Ground, in association with Netflix, acquired Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar’s “American Factory,” a documentary tracing what happened when a Chinese billionaire opened a factory in a shuttered General Motors plant in Dayton, Ohio in 2014. The feature premiered at Sundance in January, where it took home The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary.
Also on Higher Ground’s slate is “Crip Camp,” Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht’s doc about the burgeoning days of the disability rights movement.
Among Higher Grounds’ TV series is “Bloom,” Callie Khouri’s drama about the upstairs/downstairs world of fashion in post-WWII New York City. The show will explore the obstacles women and people of color experienced “in an era marked by hurdles but also tremendous progress.” Higher Ground is also developing “Overlooked,” a scripted anthology series telling the stories of unsung trailblazers. The show, produced by Liza Chasin and Joy Gorman Wettels, is based on The New York Times’ column that offers obits to those who have been unjustly ignored by history.
The Obamas’ production company is working on a children’s series, too. “Listen to Your Vegetables & Eat Your Parents,” from creators Erika Thormahlen and Jeremy Konner, is a half-hour show that will see kids and their parents traveling around the world “on an adventure that tells us the story of our food.”
“We created Higher Ground to harness the power of storytelling. That’s why we couldn’t be more excited about these projects,” President Barack Obama said, per The Hollywood Reporter. “Touching on issues of race and class, democracy and civil rights, and much more, we believe each of these productions won’t just entertain, but will educate, connect, and inspire us all.”
“We love this slate because it spans so many different interests and experiences, yet it’s all woven together with stories that are relevant to our daily lives,” Michelle Obama remarked. “We think there’s something here for everyone — moms and dads, curious kids, and anyone simply looking for an engaging, uplifting watch at the end of a busy day. We can’t wait to see these projects come to life — and the conversations they’ll generate.”
The Obamas inked a multiyear overall deal with Netflix last May with the aim of producing inspirational content via Higher Ground. Producers and film execs Priya Swaminathan (“Very Young Girls”) and Tonia Davis (“The Greatest Showman”) were appointed co-heads of Higher Ground earlier this year, and Qadriyyah “Q” Shamsid-Deen, formerly of Ryan Murphy Television’s Half Initiative and Nina Jacobson’s Color Force, was brought on as a creative executive.
Head over to The Hollywood Reporter for details on all the Obamas’ Netflix projects.
