A VIP screening of the new documentary about Melania Trump, directed by Brett Ratner, took place at the White House on Saturday. The event was attended by around 70 guests, including Amazon's Andy Jassy, Apple's Tim Cook, Queen Rania of Jordan, and Mike Tyson, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
The film, titled Melania, has a reported production budget of $40m and is being released by Amazon with a $35m marketing spend. Guests received branded merchandise including framed tickets, black and white cookies, a limited-edition copy of Melania's book, and commemorative popcorn boxes. The snacks on offer were also monochrome, featuring black and white M&Ms, pretzels, macarons, and white cake pops.
A military band played Melania's Waltz, composed by Tony Neiman, as guests arrived. Neiman's previous work includes episodes of Top Chef and the 2020 Russian film Cosmoball. The documentary's official premiere is scheduled for Thursday at the renamed Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.
The film has faced criticism due to its timing, coming shortly after the killing of Alex Pretti by a US Border Patrol agent, and because of sexual assault allegations against director Brett Ratner, which he denies. Despite this, the White House screening proceeded with a monochrome theme, described as resembling a baby shower for someone with achromatopsia.
