Movie: He Named me Malala
Direction: Davis Guggenheim
Cast: Malala Yousafzai
Music Director: Thomas Newman
Cinematography: Erich Roland
Editor: Greg Finton, Brad Fuller, Brian Johnson
Genre: Documentary
Rating: ∗∗∗∗∗
What is it about: It’s a Documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim. This one here deals with the life of a young Pakistani girl who turned out to be a female activists and a Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai who was targeted by Taliban gunmen, leaving her shot and wounded.
Why it’s disappointing: It wasn’t disappointing, rather enlightening.
What to watch out for: This documentary focuses perfectly on the life of the young Pakistani girl, who had similar dream like any other girl of her age. The interesting part here is how this ordinary girl turned out be the one who stood up against the most feared “Taliban” in her country. Her own people don’t dare, the ones who do are gunned down to death. In a country where women are considered to stay in kitchen and take care of household, emerged a girl who did the unbelievable, speaking up and stood face to face with the dictator who was making her people’s life miserable in the name of religion.
Malala was named after an Afghani folk hero “Malalai of Maiwand” by her father. Davis narrates this in an animated approach which you’ll be fond of as the film moves forward. The animation may seem very normal but the way it was put forward with strong narration made it plausible. Jason Carpenter did a great job with Animation.
As you watch this Documentary, you get enlightened and you are exposed to the part of the world, which has been cruel for ages. Malala is just another young girl, who loved to go to school and dared to learn something which most of her friends or family won’t dare to. Davis handpicked few scenarios from Malala’s life and reconstructed in a tasteful way without compromising its essence.
Malala at the tender age instead of dreaming of price charming and a lucrative life ahead, she dreamt to bring in female education in her valley. When “Taliban” made an announcement over the radio that no girl should go to school nor seek education other than Islam, she stepped out and moved towards a notion which made her more than a human being.
Malala is a beautiful innocent girl, whose beauty was literally ruptured by the beasts in the religious attire. She didn’t give up, she was a fighter who not only fought with death but life too and came back with more will than before and captured everyone’s attention around the world. Can you imagine a teenager from a third world country stepping up against an organization? No I can’t, but this girl turned everyone’s head around the globe and delivered an impeccable speech at the “United Nation”. Her 16th birthday which seemed impossible was celebrated by the world at the UN.
Malala’s great strength derived from her father, who have been an inspiration to her right from when she was a kid. Malala says that she always used to be in her father’s school, and felt that as her home rather her real one. Ziauddin Yousafzai himself was quite a leader, who was against the people who were misleading everyone in his country in the name of goodwill to Islam. He has been a great pillar of support to her daughter. A father, which every girl would dream of. When he was asked in interview who tried to kill your daughter to which his reply was,
It was not a person, it was the “Ideology” which tried to kill her.
The documentary becomes really special, the main reason being Malala’s courage at this tender age and how she fought through the odds and emerged as a face for female education, published a book, met the Presidents of many countries, and questioned them on their methods. All these facts just gives you goose bumps thinking how a girl of this age stood up and went around the world gaining support for a cause, which her own people despise her for.
Malala is a sweet teenage girl who loves Shahid Afridi, Roger Federer, Brad Pitt, who loves to read, who likes to do magic tricks, who blushes when you talk to her about dating, who loves her family, who loves to fight with her brothers and above all who became a voice of inspiration to the 66 million girls who are deprived of education across the world.
If Malala returns home, who is right now residing in UK will be shot dead by Taliban, still she wants to return to see her house one last time. When Malala was asked to share her sufferings she denies to share them and says have forgiven everyone and have no grudges.Malala is a sweet teenage girl who loves Shahid Afridi, Roger Federer, Brad Pitt, who loves to read, who likes to do magic tricks, who blushes when you talk to her about dating, who loves her family, who loves to fight with her brothers and above all who became a voice of inspiration to the 66 million girls who are deprived of education across the world.
One Child, One Teacher, One Book and One Pen…….Can definitely change the world. – Malala.
Verdict: Davis Guggenheim did a fantastic job in documenting this film, which moves you at many levels. An outstanding documentary tribute which doesn’t show that her campaigning started after getting shot, but way before the incident. Please don’t miss this wonderful film. “One Child, One Teacher, One Book and One Pen…….Can definitely change the world.” – Malala.
