'He Named Me Malala'

This article first posted on September 26th 2015.

“This is really a father-daughter story that I think speaks to everyone,” director Davis Guggenheim told Hollywood on the Potomac at the Washington, DC premiere of He Named Me Malala presented by National Geographic Channel, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Participant Media, Image Nation Abu Dhabi, and The Malala Fund.

The father-daughter timeline goes like this: Malala Yousafzai was born in Mingora, in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. She was named after a folk heroine. Her father entered her name on the family register, a virtual first in a male dominated society. The Taliban took over the Swat Valley and destroyed all schools for girls. Malala stood up for her rights to an education. ‘All I want is an education. And I am afraid of no one.’ That became her motto. She became a blogger for the BBC. She was targeted by the Taliban – hunted and attacked. She survived an almost fatal attack which brought on world-wide attention. She became the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. How the father and daughter interacted throughout this timeline is revealed in He Named Me Malala, a must see. Bring the Kleenex!