He Named Me Malala

I'll have to admit right off the bat that I watched this doc on teen Malala Yousafzai fighting sleep half the time though I managed to keep eyes open most of that period when it showed many of the school buildings that had been blown up after she attended them, courtesy of the Taliban. I did like the scenes of her family as they were now functioning normally in England. It was nice to see her doing well under the public glare after she survived being shot in the head, writing her book, and meeting public figures like Queen Elizabeth and President Obama. I, myself, remember her appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this year as being quite amusing. Nice use of animation when telling tales of her earlier life or of the woman she was named after. So on that note, He Named Me Malala is worth seeing.

Academy Award Winning Director Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth - 2006) graciously guides the viewing audience into the life and times of Malala Yousafzi, the young Pakistani girl (youngest Nobel Prize Winner - 2014) who was shot in her school bus (along with two friends) in 2012 by the Taliban. At the heart of this educational and heartwarming film is the relatable and kind Malala, the daughter of outspoken father Toor Pekai, reserved mother Khushal and sister to two equally enjoyable brothers Ziauddin and Atal. Through personal interviews that bring forth the light that shines within Malala and her family, we learn of her upbringing, gain insight into her family and community, and learn of her writing relationship with the BBC before and through the rise of the Taliban. Making the story accessible (especially to the younger audience), Guggenheim perfectly intertwines (though animation) the story behind Malala's name - the name comes from a Pashtun woman who encouraged the Afghan forces to fight on during the Battle of Maiwand. This is a remarkable story that deserves to be told and experienced by all, especially today's young women. "Let us pick-up our books and our pencils. They are our most powerful weapon". Look for this one to move right to the top for Award consideration.

Greetings again from the darkness. One would be hard-pressed to name anyone currently on the planet who is more deserving of having her story told than Malala Yousafzai. In case you don't recognize the name, Malala is the teenage girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban for speaking out in favor of education for Pakistani girls.

Unlike her namesake in the legendary story told to open the film, this Malala somehow survived the gunshot and has continued her mission of spreading the importance of education throughout the globe. Her efforts resulted in her being named the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2014. This girl is extraordinary and inspiring.

Davis Guggenheim has proved his expertise in the documentary world with excellent work in Waiting for Superman (2010) and his Oscar winner An Inconvenient Truth (2006). Though Malala may be his most fascinating subject to date, this is probably not his best filmmaking. The extensive use of animation distracts from Malala's story, and also Guggenheim's attempts to show the teenage girl that exists alongside the global activist are often disjointed. We enjoy seeing her warm and sincere interactions with her brothers and her embarrassment at low grades on school work, but each time one of these sequences begins, the film abruptly shifts to another incident – possibly as a reminder to us that her life is anything but normal.

Some of the film's highlights include Malala's speech to the United Nations assembly, the crime scene photographs of the bus on which she and her friends were shot, and those moments when she lets her emotions roam free … she mutters "It's so hard to get things done in this world". We feel her pain and find ourselves wanting to stand with Malala.

Much of what we see is from her promotional tour to support her book "I am Malala", and it's her words and commitment to the cause that leave such an impression. Guggenheim hints that her father may have pushed her into this life, but this wise-beyond-her-years young woman has more than earned our respect and admiration. She convinces us that the best way to "arm" young people around the world is with books and a pen … the most powerful weapons. Her courage and commitment cause us to question our actions as 17 year olds. What a truly extraordinary person she is.

After seeing this I want to change my name to Malala.

Malala is a noteworthy individual who deserves to be documented. Like she says in the movie, her story is every girls story, and it deserves to me told.

This doc tells a story of a 17 year old girl and how she interacts with her family, how she goes to school, her attraction to boys, and her not so average status as a world wide celebrity just for speaking out for a woman's right to education.

It's a problem a huge chunk of the world faces and some of us can't fully wrap our head around. The concept that you could get shot in the face for speaking your mind about the basic needs of all humans. He Name Me Malala follows this brave young girl around the globe as she campaigns for children like herself to be educated.

My favorite part of the movie, He Named Me Malala is the guy who named her Malala. They portrayed a truly great man (behind the woman), who saw his child (not a boy or a girl) and encouraged her to speak her mind, and they displayed it like it was not a big deal, just a father doing the best thing for his children.

To me it was what all of us have in common with Malala that makes this documentary special, and in return makes everything that she has done inspirational.

Go see it and get inspired.

Great companion to the book. Secondary, nevertheless. The book is much more powerful.