Last year, news broke that former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama had signed a multi-year production deal with Netflix and had created their own production company, called Higher Ground Productions. And now, their long-awaited projects are finally getting the go-ahead.

On Tuesday, Higher Ground Productions released a statement announcing seven upcoming projects with Netflix, including an adaptation of Michael Lewis’ 2018 book The Fifth Risk, a damning exploration of Donald Trump‘s presidency and its impact on the American government. Other projects slated on Higher Ground’s production list include American Factory, a documentary about a factory in Ohio, and Crip Camp, another documentary about a camp for disabled teenagers that helped usher in the disability rights movement in America in the 1970’s.

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“We created Higher Ground to harness the power of storytelling. That’s why we couldn’t be more excited about these projects,” President Obama said in the statement. “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.”

The other four projects include Bloom, a fictional drama about people of color in 1950’s New York City, Overlooked, an anthology series based on the New York Times’ obituary section, a film adaptation of David W. Blight‘s Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, and a children’s show called Listen To Your Vegetables And Eat Your Parents. 

“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 said.

Higher Ground Productions is headed by Priya Swaminathan and Tonia Davis.

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Yael Turitz

Article by Yael Turitz

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