“We the People” ©Netflix
Netflix announced June 2 that the Obamas have produced a 10-part series that will stream on the platform beginning on Independence Day, July 4. Titled “We the People” – the words with which the U.S. Constitution begins – the series features ten short animated films for children. According to the press release, the series is »a spirited call for everyone to rethink civics as a living, breathing thing and to reshape their understanding of what government and citizenship mean in a modern world«. At stake are issues such as civil rights and women’s rights.
The three-minute episodes were directed by Peter Ramsey, Trisha Gum, Victoria Vincent, Benjy Brooke, Mabel Ye, Tim Rauch, Jorge R. Gutierrez, Daron Nefcy, Everett Downing, and Kendra Ryan. Artists such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Janelle Monáe, Andra Day, Adam Lambert, H.E.R., and Amanda Gorman contribute soundtracks to the music video animated films. The project was conceived by Chris Nee, who has worked as a screenwriter for Sesame Street, among others. “We the People” was produced by Barack and Michelle Obama in collaboration with television producer Kenya Barris (ABC).
“We the People” is the fifth format the Obamas have sold to Netflix, including the documentaries “American Factory,” “Becoming” and the children’s cooking show “Waffle and Mochi.”
The season launches July 4 on Netflix and premieres June 24 at the AFI DOCS Festival.
URL: Netflix series page (including trailer)