Proud women! Malia and Sasha Obama open up about their mother, Michelle Obama, and all that she’s accomplished in her upcoming Netflix documentary, Becoming.
“I’m excited for her to be proud of what she’s done,” Sasha, 18, says during an interview in the documentary via E! News. “Because I think that that’s the most important thing for a human to do, is be proud of themselves.”
Malia, 21, admits that she’s happy her mom, 56, is “no longer facing that same scrutiny” she was under when their dad, President Barack Obama, was in the White House. Now, the former first lady can continue to make a difference with a little more freedom.
“Being able to let all that leave your mind creates so much more space,” the Harvard student explains in the film.
At another point in the documentary, Malia makes sure that her mother understands just how much she’s impacted the lives of others while the pair are at one of Michelle’s appearances.
“This has demonstrated, in a way, just, like, damn, those eight years weren’t for nothing, you know?” she says to Michelle. “You see that huge crowd out there? And that last speech you gave — people are here because people really believe in love and hope in other people.”
Michelle, who wrote a 2018 memoir also called Becoming, has been open about her life during her husband’s eight years as president, but their daughters have been much less vocal. Their appearance in the Netflix film is one of the few times they’ve spoken so candidly about their experiences and their family.
The mother of two, who has both of her girls back at home amid college shutdowns during the coronavirus pandemic, has been focused on spending quality time with her crew.
“It’s forced us to continue to sit down with each other, have real conversations, really ask questions and figure out how to keep ourselves occupied without just TV or computers,” Michelle told Ellen DeGeneres in a video posted on the comedian’s Instagram page on March 23. “It’s a good exercise in reminding us that we just don’t need a lot of the stuff that we have.”
The Chicago native added: “When times are bad, having each other, having your health … we can do with a lot less, and I think that’s an important lesson that I want my kids to understand. Get out there in the world, be grateful for what you have and be ready to share it when the time comes. That’s really what it’s all about. Now we’re just happy that we’re together, that everybody is healthy and safe.”
Becoming is available to stream on Netflix on Wednesday, May 6.
