Photographer Ellen von Unwerth Attends ‘Melania’ Party Amid Upheaval

On Saturday, the same day that federal Border Patrol agents shot and killed intensive care nurse Alex Pretti in the street in Minneapolis, and as an historic winter storm bore down on a large swath of the United States, the White House staged a screening of Melania, the forthcoming documentary about First Lady Melania Trump. Among those in attendance was photographer Ellen von Unwerth, who shot the promotional poster for the movie, notes Hollywood Reporter. Other VIPs on the scene reportedly included Apple CEO Tim Cook, Queen Rania of Jordan, boxer Mike Tyson, self-help guru Tony Robbins, and Amazon Studios chief Mike Hopkins. Ratner’s Instagram reveals that Erika Kirk, widow of the slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, was also in attendance. Related Articles Trump Reportedly Looking at D.C. Park Near Jefferson Memorial For Sculpture 'Garden of Heroes' 'Thoughtless and Malicious': Trump Administration Withdraws from International Cultural Organizations, Saying They Are 'Contrary to U.S. Interests' At least one public figure took to social media to condemn the screening. “Today [the Department of Homeland Security] assassinated a VA nurse in the street, [attorney general Pam] Bondi is attempting to extort voter files, and half the country is bracing on the eve of a potentially crippling ice storm with FEMA gutted,” said New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on X. “So what is the President up to? Having a movie night at the White House. He’s unfit.” Directed by Brett Ratner and produced by Amazon MGM Studios, the documentary focuses on the days leading up to the January 20, 2026 inauguration of her husband, 47th US President Donald Trump. It launches in theaters on January 30, with a premiere at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., which the president recently renamed in his own honor. The studio inked a deal of approximately $40 million with the First Lady and has spent about $35 million marketing the film, CNN reports. The deal was announced just days after Amazon leader Jeff Bezos dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. “The Amazon documentary deal with Melania Trump is additional evidence of one of the world’s largest corporations pandering to the Trump administration out of both fear and a desire for enrichment,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, when the deal was announced. “The emerging morass of Trump-corporate collaboration and entanglement will surely make the Trump family richer. But even more consequentially, it will transfer money from regular people to the corporate class and erode the foundations of American democracy.” The New York Times editorial board recently determined that the Trump family has enriched itself to the tune of at least $1.4 billion during his second term as President, including pocketing $28 million from the Amazon deal. Ratner was accused of sexual harassment or misconduct by six women, the Los Angeles Times revealed in 2017. He disputed their accounts, and has not been involved with a major film since. He previously directed films including X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and Rush Hour (1998) and music videos including Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body” (2008). He has produced films including Rules Don’t Apply (2016) and Dark Crimes (2016). German-born Von Unwerth gained note in the 1990s for a campaign for Guess. She went on to shoot campaigns for brands including Absolut, Chanel, Dior, Jimmy Choo, Mercedes-Benz, Rolex, and Victoria’s Secret. She has contributed to magazines including Cosmopolitan, Interview, the New York Times, and Vanity Fair. She has published numerous books, starting with Snaps in 1994. Her work is also presented by Los Angeles’s Fahey/Klein Gallery. Von Unwerth’s agency, 2B Management, did not immediately acknowledge a request for comment. The trailer for the film shows the First Lady sitting in on an apparent rehearsal for a public appearance by the president in which he says, “My proudest legacy will be that of peacemaker,” alluding to his quest to win the Nobel Peace Prize, to which she adds, “Peacemaker and unifier.” In a truly odd choice, the trailer concludes with a telephone conversation between them about an unspecified event: “Hi, Mr. President. Congratulations,” she says. “Did you watch it?” he asks. “I did not. Yeah, I will see it on the news.”