President Obama's love story made into a movie.

The film "Southside with You" is causing a stir at the Sundance Film Festival with its love story that is "90% true to life" about US President Barack Obama and his wife.

Many prestigious film publications have given positive reviews to it.Southside with you.The Variety review stated: "Despite its modest size, budget, and commercial potential,Southside with you"It's a different, even daring, film within the American independent film genre." Vanity Fair commented:Southside with you"It's charming and pleasant to watch. A charming and aesthetically pleasing little film." And Hollywood Reporter wrote: "It's a captivating and funny movie."

A scene from the movie Southside with You

WithSouthside with youRichard Tanne (born in 1985), a name virtually unknown to the world of cinema, suddenly became a prominent figure after writing the screenplay and directing the film. In a recent interview with the press, Richard Tanne recounted the reasons that led him to this project.Southside with you:“It was around 2007 or 2008, when Mr. Obama and his wife appeared in public. I saw them exchanging loving and trusting glances. That drew me in and compelled me to write a classic story, like a guy meeting a girl and wanting to win her heart. But I only really started writing the script for the film in 2013.”

Richard Tanne recounts that he read numerous articles, interviews, watched videos, and read books to ensure his portrayal wasn't merely a retelling of a first date, but also a romantic love story of young lawyer Barack Obama and his girlfriend Michelle Robinson – who later became his wife. Richard Tanne confidently asserts that the "process" of the president and his wife's first date in the film is 90% true to reality. It was around 1989, when Barack Obama and Michelle Robinson were colleagues working together at a law firm. They went on a date, visited the Art Institute of Chicago, had lunch, and then watched Spike Lee's new film, *Do the Right Thing*. They went for ice cream and shared their first kiss in front of an ice cream shop.

Tika Sumpter, a famous American model, singer, and actress, was the first to support Richard Tanne's project and became a producer for the film. Tika Sumpter also played the role of Michelle Robinson. Meanwhile, finding an actor to play a young President Barack Obama proved difficult. From a list of 30 candidates, Parker Sawyers, a relatively new face in American cinema, was ultimately chosen.

Sensitive topic?

Southside with youThis is a rare film that focuses on the true love story of a politician. In most biographical films about politicians, love stories are only reflected as a small part of their lives.

Politicians and the true stories related to them—their lives, loves, and even political scandals—have become subjects for filmmakers worldwide. Previously, according to the Huffington Post, a film project titled Rodham about Hillary Clinton would include her early romance with former US President Bill Clinton. Or, in 2008, documentary filmmaker George Scott persistently pursued a film about former French First Lady Carla Bruni Sarkozy, which would include a segment about her relationship with former President Nicolas Sarkozy…

Director Ha Son observed: "Foreign directors can exploit the simple, relatable love stories of politicians. They know how to make authentic and moving films to attract audiences. But for domestic filmmakers, when making films about politicians, it's mainly to glorify their achievements according to a predetermined script."

Director and screenwriter Richard Tanne recounted that he sent the script to the White House before making the film but received no feedback. For filmmakers, that's a common occurrence. At the film's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Richard Tanne stated, "Several reliable sources told us that the president and his wife were interested in the film; they were very excited."

In an article published in Vanity Fair (January 25th), Richard Tanne expressed hope that the presidential couple could attend the festival and see the film over the weekend. “We don’t have any plans to screen the film for the president and his wife at the moment, but we really hope they will see it.” Producer and actress Tika Sumpter considered the idea of ​​a trip to the White House and screening the film there. Actor Parker Sawyers suggested the presidential couple could wait to see the film on Netflix (the largest online streaming service in the US).

According to Thanh Nien newspaper