Malala has been making headlines all over the world. It comes as no surprise that there is a documentary being made on the young girl. The trailer of the biopic He Named Me Malala was released on the official Facebook page of Malala Fund.
According to a press release, the documentary is shot by renowned documentary filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, who is also the maker of An Inconvenient Truth and Waiting for Superman.
The documentary is based on Malala Yousufzai, a girl from Swat Valley in Pakistan who was targeted by the Taliban at the age of 15. She was severely wounded by a gunshot when returning home on her school bus.
Malala, who will turn 18 in July, was singled out, along with her father, for advocating girls education, and the attack on her sparked an outcry from supporters around the world. Malala miraculously survived and is now a leading campaigner for girls’ education globally as co-founder of the Malala Fund.
In He Named Me Malala, Davis shows how the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala, her father Zia and her family are committed to fighting for the education for all the girls worldwide. He gives us a close glimpse into this girl’s life telling us about her bond with her father who inspired her love and passion for education, her motivating speeches at the UN and her everyday life with family.
The launch of the film will also coincide with an international advocacy and fundraising campaign in partnership with the Malala Fund, Malala’s nonprofit organization working to empower adolescent girls globally through a quality secondary education.
“One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world,” said Malala.
As reported by Deadline Hollywood, the documentary will be aired by National Geographic Channel in 171 countries in 45 languages. It will also be promoted via Nat Geo through all of the company’s resources including the National Geographic magazine, National Geographic Digital Media, National Geographic Education Programs and National Geographic Kids.
“This is a film that you leave not only feeling incredibly inspired but truly wanting to make a difference,” National Geographic Channels CEO Courteney Monroe said in a statement. “As leaders in bringing stories of global importance to the largest audience possible, it is more than just an honor to be part of this project, I feel it is our duty. That is why we are joining this project as true partners, from the global theatrical release through our eventual television broadcast, and dedicating our collective resources to bring Malala’s important journey and advocacy for girls’ education to millions of people worldwide.”
The documentary is produced by Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald under their long-term production partnership with Image Nation Abu Dhabi and co-financed by Participant Media.
The film will be released in October.
