A trailer for a new Netflix documentary that follows Barack Obama‘s experiences with everyday Americans has been released – along with an accompanying description that said the series will hone in on issues such as race and civil rights.
The four-part series, called Working: What We Do All Day, looks at the life of US workers through the lens of the former president – and will also ‘touch on issues of race and democracy and civil rights’, according to the streaming service.
In the trailer – which the former head of state partially narrates – Obama is seen schmoozing with several different workers in their respective fields and accompanies a working-class mother to a supermarket.
The first look was shared by the ex-president Thursday and comes as the politician has made a career from speaking engagements and several book deals.
This, however, marks the multimillionaire’s first film production, and will focus on the plight of the typical American. It launches in May, though it remains unclear how much the progressive, who is worth roughly $70million, is poised to make from it.
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The four-part series, called Working: What We Do All Day, looks at the life of US workers through the lens of the former president – and will also ‘touch on issues of race and democracy and civil rights’, according to the streaming service
In the trailer – which the former head of state partially narrates – Obama is seen schmoozing with several different workers in their respective fields and accompanies a working-class mother and her child to a supermarket
‘I’m excited to share the trailer for Working,’ Obama, who was worth just over $3.5million in 2008, wrote in a tweet sharing the two-minute clip for the first time.
He added: ‘In this series, I talk to American workers across various industries – from hospitality and technology to home care – to understand their jobs and hopes for the future.
‘I hope you’ll check it out.’
He added in a statement of the work’s premise: ‘When we make sure that everyone feels their work is respected, that everyone’s contribution is honored, and that everyone is getting paid enough to truly take a part in the life of our communities, we reinforce the trust between us that makes everything in our lives possible’.
As for the newly released clip, it starts with the 61-year-old Chicago native speaking on everyday people in the workforce across a range of industries – from service to the C-Suite – and how they are all inherently connected.
‘We may not think about it but we’re all part of something larger than any single one of us,’ Obama is heard narrating in the advert.
‘Our work is one of the forces that connects us,’ he goes on to insist, as snippets of him meeting with restaurant staffers, housekeepers, and tech workers play in the background.
Less than a month away from release, the production is from the Obamas’ private studio Higher Ground, which has an overall deal with Netflix and Concordia Studio, which was founded by the director of An Inconvenient Truth, Davis Guggenheim.
It is now known how much the Obamas have earned from the partnership, though from similar deals, it is likely to be valued in the ballpark of $100 million.
As for the newly released clip, it starts with the 61-year-old Chicago native speaking on everyday people in the workforce across a range of industries – from service to the C-Suite – and how they are all inherently connected
The first look was shared by the ex-president on Thursday, and comes as the politician has made a career from speaking engagements and several book deals
It launches in May, though it remains unclear how much the progressive, who is worth roughly $70million, is poised to make from it
Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos and his wife Nicole Avant raised thousands for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign and she served as ambassador to the Bahamas.
The commercial comes roughly five years after Obama and his wife Michelle entered a multi-year producing partnership with the online streaming service, headed by CEO Ted Sarandos, who is a longtime friend of the Obamas.
In 2009, in one of Obama’s first acts as president, he appointed Sarandos’ wife, Nicole Avant, as ambassador to the Bahamas.
When Obama successfully ran for a second term, Sarandos and Avant both bundled nearly $600,000 in contributions to Obama during the 2012 presidential campaign, the New York Post reported.
Avant served as ambassador to the Bahamas from 2009 to 2011. It’s common for presidents of both parties to appoint big donors to ambassadorial positions.
Upon announcing the partnership in 2018, Obamas planned to deliver a ‘diverse mix of content’ that could range from scripted and unscripted series to documentaries and features as part of their package.
Their content will not be exclusive to American subscribers. Netflix has promised their projects will be available to all 125 million members in 190 countries.