A 26-year-old filmmaker has a bone to pick with Malia Obama ... seemingly claiming the former first daughter used one of her works as inspiration for a new Nike ad -- without properly crediting her.
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00:00So Malia Obama got a big feather in her cap, I think you could agree, when she got to direct a Nike commercial for Asia Wilson, the WNBA star, and this is the ad.
00:10So that's kind of cool for Malia early in her career to get to do something like that.
00:14Well, there is a filmmaker who says that that commercial, this is the filmmaker, Natalie Jasmine Harris, says the commercial bears a strong resemblance to a short film that she debuted at Sundance.
00:25This is Natalie's film, and she thinks that at the very least, Malia's Nike commercial was inspired by her film because Malia was also at Sundance and actually saw this film.
00:37So that's kind of right.
00:38Now, I mean, you also may look at it and go like, all right, it's people playing patty cake, but the way they are positioned.
00:43It's similar.
00:44It definitely is similar.
00:45Undeniably similar.
00:46Inspired by is different than copying.
00:49Yes.
00:49Those are two different things.
00:51Copying.
00:51Right.
00:51And the dialogue is not the same.
00:53That's right.
00:54That's going on there.
00:55You know, it's clearly inspired.
00:58I mean, if she was at Sundance, it's going to be kind of undeniable to say inspired, unless she shot it before.
01:04But at the same time, is it copying?
01:06So you wouldn't say that it's ripping off.
01:08It's inspired.
01:08There's a difference.
01:09I think that there's absolutely a lot of similarities when you look at this side by side, but I think it's going to be really tough for her to actually prove that there was a substantial inspiration from the two different films.
01:21Well, it has to be.
01:22It's not substantial inspiration.
01:23It's whether it is substantially the same.
01:26The inspiration could be full.
01:28It's just the copyright issue is, is it substantially the same?
01:32The one thing I will say in Natalie's defense, if it's that, look, she's also an up-and-coming filmmaker who's trying to make a name for herself, right?
01:43And so when you make a film...
01:46She feels ripped off.
01:47Right.
01:47I mean, she had a big moment, I'm sure, being at Sundance, and then to see that work, copied, inspired, whatever word you want to use.
01:54All she knows is she's trying to make a name for herself also.
01:57Malia Obama already has a name, right?
01:58Has she threatened a lawsuit at all?
02:00She is not threatening a lawsuit.
02:02She's posted about it and just said that it's...
02:03In a way...
02:04Yeah, and I have to say, in a way, she's kind of won the war here, because when you look at this, you feel like it was inspired, and if you feel it was inspired, good on her film.
02:16I'm moving to Kendall from St. Louis.
02:18I feel like nobody deserves to have their ideal or vision stolen, and I credit it.
02:22But at the same time, Miss Mary Mac is a very popular game that's been around for a long time.
02:27I personally feel like it was a coincidence, but if not, I feel that Malia should give this woman her credit.
02:31Okay.
02:32By the way, the name of the short film is Grace.
02:35You ever heard it?
02:35Absolutely.