From televised cabinet meetings to late-night Truth Social posts, US President Donald Trump has rarely stepped out of the spotlight since he resumed office in January. But more often than not, he's done it without his wife. So where is Melania?
A new documentary co-produced by the first lady herself aims to answer that question. Melania: 20 Days to History promises viewers an intimate glimpse into Melania Trump's life in the days leading up to her husband's January 2025 inauguration.
The film opened in cinemas across the US on Friday to controversy. It has received significant attention from administration critics and watchdogs, who have criticized the project's funding and dismissed the timing of its release as insensitive, as mass protests swell over two fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Politics aside, those seeking answers about how Trump spends her time might find the film unsatisfying - much of it shows Melania Trump in transit, at public events or drifting between meetings to review fabric samples and dinnerware. Still, small interactions with her closest friends offer some glimpses at how the famously enigmatic first lady is approaching her husband's second term.
Early on, Trump is clear about her intent: I want to show the American people my journey from private citizen to first lady, she says.
The film touches briefly on the controversy around its creation, in a meta moment that shows Trump's staff fielding an inquiry from a journalist about its commission. Melania is a co-production from Trump herself and director Brett Ratner, along with other partners and distribution by Amazon MGM Studios. The film is Ratner's first project since he was accused of sexual misconduct at the height of the #MeToo movement in 2017. Ratner has denied the allegations.
Much of the film takes place at Trump Tower in New York, at the president's Florida residence at Mar-a-Lago or en route between the two. We see little of either property, just the spaces in which Trump meets with her trusted staff of stylists, event planners and interior decorators.
At several points, Ratner intervenes to prod Trump into sharing more about herself. What kind of music does she like? Michael Jackson is her favourite, she reveals during a car ride to the airport - especially Billie Jean, which plays twice during the film. The pair listen to the song and she briefly sings along. Are we doing Carpool Karaoke with Melania? Ratner excitedly asks.
Trump is most candid about her mother's death, describing the grief as overwhelming. Amalija Knavs died in January 2024. She first opens up to an interior decorator, when discussing plans for the Trump family to move into the White House. Her grief appears to swell when she attends the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter in Washington DC on 9 January 2025, the anniversary of her mother's death.
Throughout the film, Trump hints at discomfort with her new role, at times seeming to mourn the loss of her privacy and freedom to the rigid and public obligations of being first lady. The role of first lady is more structured and comes with fewer quiet moments, she says, and she feels she must stay mentally strong.
The documentary hints at the tumult of the 2024 presidential election and the toll of Donald Trump's campaign. But Melania Trump largely avoids offering her own perspective. She directs much of the attention back to Donald Trump, echoing her husband's public statements that he has endured grave injustice. Nobody has endured what he has for the last few years, she says in a voice over. Here he is, I'm so very proud.
Documentaries have become a key part of the celebrity PR toolkit in the last decade. Where social media can be unpredictable, self-produced documentaries by the likes of Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez offer a revenue stream, fan service and a unique degree of image control, all with the promise of intimacy.
At a Friday afternoon showing at a cinema outside of Washington DC attended by the BBC, the audience was filled with a mostly older crowd dressed in American flag attire who cheered and clapped throughout the film. This is part of why Trump may have chosen this kind of project, says Katherine Jellison, a women's studies professor and expert in first ladies at Ohio University.
However, the film's ties to the Trump administration - and more importantly, its politics - have coloured perceptions even before its release. Critics labelled a private screening at the White House attended by conservative influencers as insensitive and out of touch amidst ongoing social issues.
Despite the mixed reactions, Melania Trump continues to present her story with a focus on her personal growth as First Lady, stating, As First Lady, the real nobility is becoming stronger than the person I was yesterday.
