Takeaways from ‘Melania,’ the Melania Trump documentary

"Melania," a new documentary about first lady Melania Trump that lists her as a producer and was directed by Brett Ratner, premiered amid a reported $35 million marketing campaign with a Kennedy Center debut and distribution in about 1,500 theaters; cameras filmed Mrs. Trump for 20 days last January, culminating in President Trump’s second inauguration, and Amazon MGM paid $40 million to acquire the film.

The film offers little deep access or outside context: Mrs. Trump is mostly seen perfectly coifed and often silent, frequently in voice-over narration. It follows fittings for her inauguration wardrobe, event planning and a few staff meetings, and includes conversations with Queen Rania of Jordan and a video call with Brigitte Macron about children and screens — with Mrs.

Trump writing in a Be Best notebook, "No mobile phone until 11." A long on-screen encounter involves Aviva Siegel, an Israeli whose husband was held captive by Hamas; Mrs. Trump leans in to comfort her. The documentary foregrounds Mrs. Trump’s relationship with her late mother, Amalija Knavs, who died in January 2024; Mrs.

Trump calls her mother "the richest thread in my life" and is shown marking the anniversary of her death by lighting a candle at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It also highlights Mrs.

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