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A look at the events leading up to the Talibans’ attack on the young Pakistani school girl, Malala Yousafzai, for speaking out on girls’ education and the aftermath, including her speech to the United Nations.
The story of Malala Yousafazi is widely known. She’s the teenage girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban for speaking out against them and spreading the message that girls should be educated, not shut away with only a “religious education.” “He Named Me Malala” is sure to pull on the heartstrings of audiences nationwide, but they may never walk away feeling that they know Malala or the depth of her struggle or the struggle of her community and home country of Pakistan. Davis Guggenheim, known for “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Waiting for ‘Superman” gives us a glossy profile piece full of a teenage girl who navigates her way through many awards, public speaking, travelling and school.
Malala’s story, from the time of her birth to the present day, is told through interwoven scenes of animation, news clips, and intimate footage from the family home. From the beginning, Malala is attached to legend; her origin story starts with her father, Ziauddin, naming her Malala, after a teenage girl, a fighter on the battlefield, who rallied up the Pashtun fighters against the British. Although she died on that battlefield, her story had a message moving enough for Ziauddin to name his daughter Malala, much to the criticism of those around him, thinking he had destined her to a dangerous fate, an anxiety he shares once his daughter became a target.
Ziauddin himself was an educator and passionate speaker in their home village of Swat Valley. It was he who instilled in Malala a passion for knowledge and desire for education, for herself and all girls. It is hard to say if he is her inspiration or puppeteer, encouraging or goading Malala to speak against the aggressors, naming them in public as such, just as they publicly named people in the village who were deemed sinners, provoking neighborly ostracization. Regardless of intentions, it is evident from the footage that there is a deep bond between father and daughter.
The most endearing parts of the film are footage of Malala and her younger brothers at home. They tease her and joke with her all in good fun, the youngest saying how she protects him when his brother is after him but smacks him when he enters her room, the epitome of sibling behavior and love. Malala emanates a warmth and girlish demeanor, conversations often speckled with an infectious laugh, when speaking on her troubles with her new school and schoolwork or her crushes on sports stars and actors. It is made clear that she is still a typical teenage girl despite her extraordinary triumphs.
“He Named Me Malala,” is just shy of a saintly profile piece, which makes one feel hesitant or guilty to question its intentions or possible superficiality, as it glosses over how she has (or has not) affected the people still residing in Swat Valley. But despite lingering questions, the documentary is still nonetheless inspirational. While the film seems to barely scratch the surface of Malala’s story and mission it is a good beginning. It will be interesting what Malala will do with the power and passion she has developed as she transitions from a teenager to an adult.
In select theaters
