KO Review He Named Me Malala

He Named Me Malalais a documentary film aboutMalala Yousafzaia 15 year old girl from the Swat District of north-west Pakistan who was shot in the head 9 October, 2012 by the Taliban for speaking out about the importance of education for women.

The film opens with a beautiful animation of Malala, a Afghani war heroine who leads her people to victory by telling them “it is better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand as a slave” with a voice over ofMalala Yousafzaiwho tell this story that her mom used to tell while she was pregnant with her, as to why he wanted to name his daughter Malala. The story moves from here to American news footage of Malala’s head bandaged and her body being moved from Pakistan to England for medical treatment.

The film then moves to 2013 in Birmingham, Malala lives in a beautiful house with her two brothers, mother and father. Malala seems settled and content in her new home transitioning to a new way of life as a student and an international activist for womens educational rights. It is clear from this point on in the film that her father plays a very important role in her life.Malala’sfatherZiauddin Yousafzaiwas an educator and activist himself in their district in Pakistan and she learned from an early age that her voice mattered.

Stylistically the filming is beautiful, a lot of extreme close-ups onMalala’sface, especially from the outside of a moving car window looking in on her observations of the new world around her in slow motion. The animations are beautiful and tell the story with tranquil music that add to the mood the fact that this film is about a child.

Malalais asked by the cameraman if she has ever felt angry about what happened to her and she answers not at all, not with one molecules in her body, she explains that “Islam teaches forgiveness” and as we see through her wearing her hijab and covering her legs in a longer skirt in her new all girls school, that her faith is very important to her. Malala is always wearing bright colors and traditional Pakistani clothing, and has tried to remain as true to herself as possible even though she is starting a new life.

Malalatravels with her father to a Kenya classroom, we see her continuing her activism and we learn her mother chose to drop out of school. Malala’s mother seems removed from the film. We see her trying to learn english and see her in a few situations, but her mother doesn’t seem as involved in her life an activist as her father. As the film develops we learn her mother no longer covers her face in England like she did in Pakistan, but remains traditional to her values in all other ways. There is point where Malala explains that her mom doesn’t think it is acceptable for her daughter to be shaking mens hands or looking them in the eye, but Malala challenges this and says she is equal and has every right to do so.

The film showsMalalain Nigeria with the parents of girls kidnapped by the group Boko Haram and is involved in the media plea to bring back the girls safely to their families. We also see Malala on the border between Syria and Jordan where 3 million children are displaced from schools because of the conflict in their country. We see the importance of her role as an activist is in these extreme situations.

In a scene back in her new home in Birmingham the cameraman asksMalalawhat her favorite book is and she pulls out the Paulo Coelho bookThe Alchemist.

“There is a moment you need to chose to be silent or stand up”Malalaexplains.

This documentary is very emotionally charged and hopeful. It is a miracle thatMalalasurvived and her activist spirit has not been diminished.

He Named Me Malalais directed and produced byDavis Guggenheim, an established documentary American filmmaker. Guggenheim is probably most known for his 2006 documentaryAn Inconvenient Truthabouton Al Gore’s campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide. But most recently for his documentaryWaiting for Supermanthat focuses on the flawed educational system in America. Guggenheim’s style of documentary is very polished, calculated and easy to watch.

He Named Me Malalaopens in theatres Friday October 9, 2015. Checkwww.calgarymovies.comfor showtimes.
Special thanks toFox Searchlight Pictures