All about (and for) Melania Trump: The first lady opens up to the world in a controversial documentary

The Kennedy Center, the performing arts venue located on the banks of the Potomac River and next to the historic Watergate Hotel in the United States capital, was the setting for the premiere of Melania, the controversial documentary film that portrays Melania Trump’s life during the first 20 days of January 2025. It reflects the whirlwind of the weeks leading up to Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States.

The premiere at the new MAGA temple, which Trump has named after himself, was worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster. A red carpet welcomed the presidential couple, senior members of the administration, and a long list of Republican‑aligned celebrities. The film, produced by the first lady, is already stirring controversy over its outsized budget and the unusually aggressive marketing campaign behind a project crafted to showcase its star, one of the most enigmatic figures in the constellation surrounding Donald Trump.

The film features scenes filmed at the family’s Mar-a-Lago mansion and their Palm Beach country club in Florida, as well as at the White House and the first lady’s office in the Trump building in New York. Amazon MGM Studios paid the first lady’s production company $40 million, an exorbitant amount for biographical documentaries. Furthermore, it has committed to investing an additional $35 million in the film’s promotion and marketing, roughly 10 times the typical budget for this type of project.

A few weeks before Amazon MGM Studios submitted its bid — which was far higher than those of competitors like Disney and Paramount — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos dined with President Trump and his wife at the family’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to Rolling Stone. U.S. Media outlets are questioning whether Amazon’s generous support, given its past disagreements with Republicans, isn’t an attempt by the company to curry favor with Trump. The documentary will be available to stream on Amazon Prime in a few weeks. “We licensed the film for one reason and one reason only — because we think customers are going to love it,” a spokesperson for Amazon MGM Studios stated.

“For the first time in history, people will witness the 20 days leading up to the inauguration, through the eyes of an incoming first lady,” said Melania Trump, a 55-year-old former Slovakian model, during the film’s promotion at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday. The film was screened on Thursday in 21 other theaters across the United States, accessible by invitation only. The event served as a preview for the documentary’s global premiere this weekend, when it is set to open in more than 3,000 cinemas worldwide. Advance ticket sales have been modest, suggesting that its opening‑weekend box office may fall short of expectations.

Little is known about the content of the one-hour and 44-minute film. The trailer, broadly speaking, is a cross between The Devil Wears Prada and The West Wing. The trailer shows the first lady actively participating in organizing the presidential inauguration, involved in the design of her dress and the iconic hat she wore that day. At one point in the trailer, Melania Trump appears wearing that wide-brimmed, boater-style hat, which obscured her eyes and gave her a mysterious air. “Here we go again,” says the former model of Slovenian origin, in a cut to the film as she walks through the Capitol arm in arm with an impeccably dressed Marine to attend Trump’s inauguration.

“I’m a very private and selective person: what I do, what I don’t do, when I speak and when I don’t, I decide. That’s my decision, and nobody controls me,” Melania said in one of her several appearances this week on the conservative Fox News channel to promote the film. Everything in the marketing campaign revolves around luxury and protocol — very much in line with the tastes of the U.S. President’s family. It features a stream of images highlighting the first lady’s fondness for fashion: shoes, handbags, tailored outfits, and more.

“I want to impact Americans lives,” the first lady told Fox. In the trailer, she is also seen participating in the rehearsal of Donald Trump’s inaugural address. As he says, “my proudest legacy will be that of peacemaker,” she interrupts him, saying, “Peacemaker and unifier.” When asked about this by Fox News reporters, during her flurry of appearances on the network this week, the first lady said: “Well, I give him my advice and, you know, we talk about that, and we could see that the country is divided. And it’s very hard no matter what he says. They don’t like to listen and, what’s going on in our country now, I feel that it’s a lot of pushback and I hope it stops.”

Last November, Melania announced the launch of her own production company, MUSE, the code name used by the Secret Service to identify her. According to Marc Beckman, the first lady’s chief adviser, she has been involved in every aspect of the documentary, from production and editorial decisions to the smallest details of its promotion. “She was involved in the production, the postproduction, all of the ad campaign, the trailer,” he told One America News. “And when I say involved, I mean she’s not just approving. She built that trailer. She created the cliffhanger, she selected the music. Same thing with the ad campaign that we’re seeing worldwide now in almost 30 countries.”

Although she had editorial control, the film is directed by Brett Ratner, a controversial filmmaker who spent nearly a decade sidelined in Hollywood after being accused of sexual abuse by several women, including Natasha Henstridge and Olivia Munn.

Beckman told The Times that he chose a particularly sharp moment between the couple, who have been married for 21 years. In the scene, she appears with her back to the camera, speaking on the phone from her office in Trump Tower in New York. “Congratulations, Mr. President,” she tells her husband. “Did you see it?” He asks. “I didn’t. I’ll see it on the news,” she replies, cryptically.

The premiere comes a week after the presidential family hosted a private screening at the White House for 70 friends. The event drew widespread criticism because it was held while millions of American families were confined to their homes due to Tropical Storm Fern, the worst storm in years, which blanketed the country in snow and ice. And, most notably, it took place on the same night that a wave of outrage swept the nation following the death of Alex Pretti, who was shot by federal agents participating in the campaign of indiscriminate raids in Minneapolis.

Popcorn and cookies bearing the film’s title

While the country reeled, a military band welcomed guests with Melania’s Waltz, a piece composed specifically for the documentary. Hosts handed out popcorn and cookies stamped with the film’s name, and the first lady gifted attendees a copy of her memoir — published in October 2024 and, fittingly, titled Melania.

Two days later, she made a rare appearance on a Fox News program to call for “unity” amid the growing unrest in Minneapolis following Pretti’s killing by federal agents.

Large billboards have gone up across the country, along with ads in subway and bus stations, television spots, and promotions during NFL games. Even Donald Trump has endorsed the film on his social‑media accounts — a move that has drawn criticism from those who say it skirts a conflict of interest.

Melania Trump’s reserved public profile has intrigued Americans since Trump’s first term in 2016. She has made few public appearances, and many still wonder what the couple’s relationship is really like. “Everyone wants to know, so here it is,” she says in the nearly two‑hour film.

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