Growing up in front of the eyes of the public isn’t something Malia Obama is not familiar with. Being the daughter of the former president of the United States, Barak Obama, she has spent her life under the limelight, and even today, the media is interested in her every move.
The 25-year-old just presented her directorial debut, The Heart, at the Sundance Film Festival. In the Sundance Institute’s “Meet the Artist” spotlight video, Malia Obama revealed she was going by the name Malia Ann, thus ditching her moniker.
Malia, who was born Malia Ann Obama on July 4, 1998, has her middle name honoring her paternal grandmother, who died from ovarian cancer at the age of 52 in 1995, and now, she has dropped her last name in favor of her middle name.
Speaking of the short film for which she served as both director and screenwriter, Malia said. “This is an odd little story, somewhat of fable, about a man grieving the death of his mother after she leaves him an unusual request in her will.” Further, in the YouTube clip of the short film, she wrote, “The film is about lost objects and lonely people and forgiveness and regret, but I also think it works hard to uncover where tenderness and closeness can exist in these things.”
The Heat isn’t her first attempt into the profession. Previously, the Harvard grad worked in the writers’ room on Donald’s Amazon Prime show Swarm, co-writing the fifth episode, “Girl, Bye.”
“She’s a very professional person,” Swarm‘s co-creator Janine Nabers said Malia in a January 2023 Vanity Fair interview. “She’s an incredible writer and artist. She made significant contributions… She’s very, truly committed to her craft.”
Swarm‘s executive producer Stephen Glover also spoke of Malia. “We can’t be easy on her just because she’s the [former] President’s daughter,” he told Vanity Fair. “No, she is really down-to-earth and cool. So it’s not an issue at all.”
Malia Obama isn’t the first celebrity who made the decision to ditch their family name. Other celebs have done that before, including Nicolas Cage, who changed his last name from Coppola, and Angelina Jolie, who dropped her surname, Voight.
For her directorial debut, Malia looked cozy, with minimal makeup, her curly hair down with small braids scattered throughout.
Woman Swerves To Miss Trash Bag In Road, Looks Closer And Gets The Chills
An Unexpected Meeting on a Different Route
Even minor adjustments to our daily routine can have a big impact. This was the case for Kentucky teacher Malissa Sergent Lewis, who one summer morning in 2016 decided on the spur of the moment to take an alternative route to work.
In an attempt to go to her elementary school more quickly, Malissa, who was running late, chose to take a side route rather than the main highway. She had no idea how much this little diversion would affect her day.
Malissa saw an odd sight as she drove along the desolate road: an abandoned trash bag. But this was no regular bag—it appeared to be in motion.
Malissa was forced by curiosity to look into it more. She noticed that someone had purposefully tied the bag tight as she cautiously approached it. She cautiously tore open a corner of the bag, only to find a touching surprise within.
A puppy was inside the sack, and as soon as it spotted light, it began to eagerly wag its tail. Malissa was astounded by what she saw. For an indefinite amount of time, the puppy had been abandoned in the middle of the road and kept inside a trash bag.
A Heartfelt Reaction
Unable to ignore the defenseless puppy, Malissa made the decision to take it to work. After her son eventually brought the dog home, they went to the vet to make sure it was healthy.
Malissa tried everything to figure out how the puppy got into the bag by the side of the road, but she was unable. She got in touch with animal control because she was afraid it would be lost or stolen. Remarkably, nobody had claimed ownership of the puppy or reported it missing.
With a great deal of compassion, Malissa and her family decided to give the puppy the love and care it deserved by adopting it. Malissa, though, was unable to understand the callousness of someone who would commit such a heinous deed.
An Unexpected Development
Malissa thought back on the event and realized that she would never have found the abandoned puppy if she had carried out her usual routine that day. This coincidental meeting changed the story, sparing the dog from an otherwise terrible outcome.
The tale of Malissa’s generosity serves as a reminder of the amazing people who give their all to better the lives of mistreated and abandoned animals. Their commitment and kindness make the world a happier and better place for these defenseless animals.
To honor Malissa and those who go above and beyond to provide love and hope to animals in need, please spread the word about this story.
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