Rustin, starring Colman Domingo, is directed by George C. Wolfe. The cast also includes Audra McDonald, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, CCH Pounder, Julies Latimer, Maxwell-Whittington Cooper and more.

Michelle said the film “is about painting that fuller story of our history — triumphs, complications, all of it.” She also encouraged young people to be confident in their ability to make change.

“I know how easy it is to doubt who you are…to wonder if the way you look or where you’re from or who you love will leave you on the margins of the broader American story,” she explained. “But as you watch this movie, I want you to let Bayard Rustin’s example give you the strength to silence those doubts… let his story remind you that no matter the complication… no matter the hardship… you can make history.”

The former president posthumously awarded Rustin the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

“No medal can change what happened to Bayard, and no film can ease the pain of generations of Americans who have faced discrimination because of who they are and who they love,” he said at the screening. “But Michelle’s and my hope is that, by telling Bayard’s story, more people will appreciate leaders like him who brought America closer to its highest ideals – even though they weren’t in the limelight. Even though they operated behind the scenes…because that’s what it takes sometimes to change…and we can honor the legacy of Rustin and others by taking our place in this long march towards true equality.”

Rustin has screened at the Telluride and Toronto International Film Festivals. The film opened in select theaters on Nov. 3 and it will be released on Netflix on Nov. 17.