Originally published November 4, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
He Named Me Malala, 2015.
Directed by Davis Guggenheim.
Starring Malala Yousafzai, Ziauddin Yousafzai, Toor Pekai Yousafzai and Khushal Yousafzai.
SYNOPSIS :
A look at the events leading up to the Taliban’s attack on Pakistani schoolgirl, Malala Yousafzai, for speaking out on girls’ education followed by the aftermath, including her speech to the United Nations.
Acting as a timely reminder that positive ideas can affect the way that people live their lives and change for the better, this optimistic biographical film inspires and fascinates in equal measure.
He Named Me Malala is a portrait of the life and work of Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate who rose to global attention when she was targeted and severely wounded by the Taliban in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. The then 15-year-old schoolgirl had, along with her father Zia, strongly advocated girls’ education in the region and spoke out against the regime’s oppressive attitude to learning and culture .
The attack on her sparked an outcry from supporters around the world. She miraculously survived and is now a leading campaigner for girls’ education globally as co-founder of the Malala Fund.
Directed by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for Superman), the documentary shows us exactly how Malala is committed to making a difference to education processes worldwide. Switching between intimate family scenes in Birmingham UK where the family are now based, to high state visits and speeches at the UN, the film captures the full scope of this remarkable young person’s achievements.
At the centre of the film is the relationship between Malala and her father Zia, a justifiably proud man and himself an impassioned public speaker. Acting as an encouraging force in her progression, the diplomat and activist brought Malala up to believe in herself and the potential of others. It is communication and education that is at the heart of their belief system; with the freedom to learn the clarifying light.
It is interesting to contrast Malala with her mother Tor Pekai, a woman from a different era who did not receive all of the opportunities that her daughter is now making possible for more and more. The scenes displaying the older woman’s endeavour to learn English in her new home provide further context to the ongoing story.
Overall, the documentary is an incredibly engaging film highlighting the power of communication. It’s a celebration of education, and the importance it has for everyone across the world. The beautifully crafted animated sequences provide another memorable method of getting the main point across; that is, without the gift of education, there can be no culture and ultimately no hope. Strongly put together technically, the scenes of Malala’s family life, relationship with her father and her wit and humour balance out the horror of political suppression extremely well.
More than anything else it is great to see such a worthy film that is also extremely well put together and just as entertaining as it is informative. Ideally, this should be shown across schools, colleges and cinemas everywhere.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert W Monk is a freelance journalist and film writer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng&v=W04aXcyQ0NQ
