“ONE CHILD, ONE TEACHER, ONE BOOK AND ONE PEN CAN CHANGE THE WORLD”
Academy Award Winning Documentarian David Guggenheim gives us an intimate view into the real-life journey of Malala Yousafzai ~ the 15 year old Pakistani girl who was targeted and shot by the Taliban for her beliefs, and who now graciously spreads her ideals, courage and strength all over the world.
Being blessed with the name her father bestowed upon her at birth ~ MALALA ~ after Malalai of Maiwand, a famous Pashtun poetess and warrior woman from southern Afghanistan, Malala was destined for greatness from the very start…
Observing and taking in all that her father and his friends would say, and do, Malala realized early on the importance of education ~ as her father taught the boys in school each day ~ and what positive significance it would make for the other girls in her country, if they too, could attend school…
Happily growing up in the SWAT Valley with her family, Malala felt she should share her thoughts ~ along with her father~ that ALL WOMEN should be educated. That was until the Taliban started taking over her province, and heard the rumblings from within about a small girl, and her crazy ideas…
Determined to silence these thoughts, especially with they are coming from a 15 year old girl, the Taliban targets Malala, shooting her on her school bus, and leaving her and a couple friends for dead…
Saved from death by the quick action of those around her, Malala and her family move to England to start their new life, and to continue to spread the word in their quest for woman’s education to be accepted in each and every country around the globe…
I give HE NAMED ME MALALA a rating between: CATCH IT ON THE BIG SCREEN or WAIT FOR THE DVD RELEASE. I was elated to see this documentary on the youngest NOBEL PEACE PRIZE winner EVER (She was 17 when she received it), as Guggenheim has directed such memorable documentaries as AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH and WAITING FOR SUPERMAN in the past, and both were very memorable. And hearing Malala narrate her own story ~ with the help of her father too, just added to the storyline. Understanding Malala’s destiny from birth, her close relationship with her father, and the true brotherly/sisterly love that she shares with her 2 younger brothers, gives you, as a viewer, an intense and real look into this young woman, and her relentless ambition to bring education to ALL the WOMAN of the WORLD. I think any girl over the age of 10 should view this film, so that they too can realize that anyone, no matter what age or size you are, does have the power to change the world…
Kathy Kaiser
MATINEE CHAT with Kathy Kaiser 