An increasing number of celebrities are funding their own documentaries

Unica, the documentary that tells Ilary Blasi's version of the end of her relationship with Totti, has been one of the most-watched contents on Netflix Italy in recent weeks. It has also ranked well globally among products not originating in the English language. Its success is, above all, proof of how platforms have managed to find a new type of content that works both in terms of audience and financially. Unica, in fact, falls into the recent trend of documentaries about celebrities financed by the celebrities themselves. The series Beckham, dedicated to the story of David and Victoria Beckham, went in the same direction and was among the most-watched productions worldwide. In 2022, Halftime, a narrative about how Jennifer Lopez prepared for her Super Bowl show, was released, simultaneously telling her singing career. Two years earlier, Taylor Swift was the focus of Miss Americana. All these contents were created with Netflix and share the commonality that they are dedicated to a well-known figure, the same one supporting the work financially, crafting a narrative perfectly aligned with the self-image they want to convey.

Where and How This Format Originates

In the field of documentaries about famous personalities made by themselves, there is a "before and after," represented by The Last Dance. This type of content, starting with the documentary series focused on Michael Jordan's rise in the NBA, had a precise development. And once again, Netflix played a role. In The Last Dance, co-financed by Jordan himself, the most famous basketball player of all time exposed himself, not hiding his negative sides. This choice, combined with a story capable of captivating viewers on its own, made it a highly appreciated and influential product. It was 2020, and since then, the practice of producing documentaries financed by the protagonists themselves has become more frequent. However, this type of content existed before Netflix intercepted the trend, making it a separate genre. In 2020, for example, Tiziano Ferro recounted his career in the documentary Ferro, produced with Prime. In Italy, the previous year, Chiara Ferragni produced Unposted, focused on her life journey. Presented at the Venice Film Festival, the documentary film was also distributed in theaters and, as evidence of the genre's strength, was even broadcast in prime time on Rai.

Challenges of Celebrity-Financed Documentaries

One of the drawbacks of this type of content is that they all tend to resemble each other: they more or less follow the same formula, combining a domestic context with a career narrative of the protagonist. The storyline usually mixes challenging early career phases, the arrival of success, and the related difficulties due to fame, and then concludes with a form of maturity and final redemption conveyed by the protagonist. The problem with documentaries financed by the same celebrities who participate is that they do not always include the most controversial parts of their lives. In Beckham, for example, some potentially uncomfortable episodes are omitted, which could generate criticism, such as his role as a spokesperson for Qatar. Similarly, in Harry & Meghan, the documentary about Harry and Meghan Markle produced by their own production company, Meghan's first marriage is not mentioned. And again, this year, Stephen Curry, one of the most famous contemporary basketball players, financed Underrated; in the documentary, published by Apple TV, the basketball player tells his story, portraying himself as someone who has always been underestimated, without considering that he is the only professional in NBA history to be unanimously named Player of the Year. The risk is, therefore, to slide into rigid and one-sided narratives, where only one version of the facts is highlighted – that of the person conveying the content and who has also funded the production.