Film Night at the Center of Power

While the shots in Minneapolis were still echoing and videos were documenting the horrific death of Alex Pretti at the hands of a federal officer, the White House opened its doors on Saturday evening for an exclusive screening. Shown was an upcoming documentary about Melania Trump, produced by Amazon MGM. Outside, the political situation was escalating, inside, a film was playing. The contrast could hardly have been sharper. The screening took place even as the country was gripped by multiple crises. In Minneapolis, just hours earlier, Alex Pretti, 37 years old, had been shot dead during an operation by immigration authorities. The Department of Homeland Security initially claimed that Pretti had posed a threat. But all videos, witnesses, and investigations not only contradicted this false claim, they exposed it as a lie. Analyses showed that an officer removed a weapon from Pretti’s belt before shots were fired. Public anger grew, as did the protests.

At the same time, a handpicked guest list gathered in the East Room of the White House. Present were executives from the tech and media worlds, including the chief executive officer of Amazon, the head of Amazon MGM, prominent entrepreneurs, celebrities from entertainment and sports, as well as international guests. The president’s son was also in attendance. The hosts were Melania Trump and Donald Trump themselves. The dress code was formal, the setting private, the evening carefully staged. Amazon declined to comment on the event when asked. That was probably for the best for Amazon. What is clear, however, is that the company is said to have paid a sum for the documentary rights that is unusually high for this genre. The film is intended to offer a personal glimpse into the weeks before the president’s inauguration and is set to be released publicly at the end of January. The screening at the White House was part of the president’s official schedule.

Criticism did not take long to follow. A member of Congress from New York spoke of a disturbing set of priorities. While a nurse had been killed in the street, authorities were entangled in other scandals, and millions of people were preparing for a severe winter storm, the president had hosted a movie night. As large parts of the United States brace for a historic cold wave, Donald Trump once again saw himself vindicated: global warming, he claimed, was obviously an invention. After all, it was freezing. On his platform Truth Social, he declared the impending subzero temperatures in up to 40 states to be definitive proof against climate change and mockingly asked what had become of “global warming.” He once again blamed shadowy “environmental insurgents,” without explaining who he meant. The congresswoman openly raised the question of what this said about the state of political leadership. The symbolism of the event also did not go unnoticed. The White House currently has no permanent cinema, as parts of the building have been demolished for a planned renovation. A screen was therefore installed specifically in the East Room, with rows of chairs carefully aligned. Everything was prepared for an evening of self affirmation, while outside reality painted a very different picture.

Melania Trump later described the event as moving. She spoke of friends, family, and people whose life stories had left an impression. A close adviser to the First Lady praised the warmth and closeness of the evening, calling it intimate and unforgettable. Words that stood in stark contrast to the images simultaneously emerging from Minneapolis and spreading around the world. The screening may have been planned as a private event. But it took place at the center of political power, financed by a corporation whose founder is closely connected to the administration, and at a moment when trust in state action was continuing to erode. While videos raised doubts about the official account of a deadly operation, the White House opted for isolation, glamour, and normalcy. What remains of that evening above all is one impression: a presidential residence that demonstratively disconnects itself. A film about the First Lady, shown behind closed doors, while outside questions of responsibility, violence, and truth remain unanswered.