When Malia Obama made her directorial debut with "The Heart" at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, many praised the former first daughter’s artistic leap into the world of cinema. But following the release of a new Nike campaign she directed starring WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson, another rising filmmaker is saying this looks familiar.
Natalie Jasmine Harris, whose own short film "Grace" competed alongside Obama’s "The Heart" at Sundance last year, is publicly voicing her concerns about what she sees as striking creative parallels between her work and the new Nike ad, "Teaching the Pro." In an essay for Business Insider, Harris pulled no punches, writing, “It featured two people playing pat-a-cake in a way that echoed an early scene from my 14-minute short film.”
For context, "Grace" is a deeply personal Black Southern Gothic short centered around a girl wrestling with her identity as she prepares for baptism. One of the film’s most memorable early scenes, involving a stylized, emotionally charged pat-a-cake moment, is now, according to Harris, eerily mirrored in the Nike commercial directed by Obama (who uses the professional credit "Malia Ann").
The Scene of the Similarity
Harris acknowledges that no one owns a childhood game. “You didn’t invent pat-a-cake,” many have argued online.
“It’s not about the game,” she clarified. “It’s about the cinematic tools used to depict it.” We're talking similar angles, framing, color palettes. A friend of Harris even went full CSI and compiled a shot-by-shot photo comparison.
And while the Nike ad’s credited creative direction belongs to Jenn Nkiru (best known for her work on Beyoncé’s "Black Is King"), Harris isn't claiming outright plagiarism. She’s talking about a subtler, more systemic issue in the film industry: the kind that’s harder to prove but easy to feel.
The Sundance Connection
Adding more intrigue to the timeline: Harris and Obama met briefly during the festival circuit. “At the director’s brunch and a couple other events,” Harris recalled. “I was disappointed and hurt—not just for myself but for my entire team,” Harris wrote. “It speaks to a larger issue of brands not supporting independent artists and opting for folks who already have name recognition.”
Harris's essay quickly struck a nerve online, with reactions split. Some called it petty, others saw it as a brave and necessary stand. But beneath the headlines and hot takes, Harris is asking a larger question. “The route that used to work for the Spike Lees and Steven Spielbergs of the world feels less viable today,” she wrote. “If we’re continuously overlooked, how is the next generation of filmmakers going to exist?”
She hasn't received any acknowledgment from Obama or Nike. But her decision to speak up wasn’t easy. “I was hesitant,” she admitted. “It involves a former president’s daughter, a beloved brand, and the WNBA—which already gets so little spotlight.”
Still, she couldn’t let it go. “I’ve poured too much into my work to just sit by and watch.”