Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani education activist who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban on her school bus, will be the subject of a feaure-length documentary that Davis Guggenheim (“Waiting for Superman,” “An Inconvenient Truth”) has signed on to direct.
Walter Parkes and Laurie MaDonald are producing with Emirati film and TV production company Image Nation Abu Dhabi, which is fully financing the project.
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Malala became an international symbol for education rights in the Middle East when a gunman shot her in the head and neck during her ride to school at age 14. She was targeted for her outspoken stance on behalf of girls’ education in her community.
After recovering in a British hospital, Malala continued her crusade to ensure a safe education for all in her home country and beyond. She became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and the United Nations named a day in her honor.
The untitled documentary will chronicle her first visit to the U.S., when she speaks before the UN General Assembly next month.
“There are few stories Laurie and I have ever come across that are as compelling, urgent or important as the real-life struggle of Malala and her father Ziauddin on behalf of universal education for children,” Parkes said. “It is an honor and a privilege to be able to try to bring the lives of these extraordinary people to the screen.”
No distributor has been chosen yet, but a 2014 theatrical release is planned.
"I have two daughters and they are inspired and captivated by Malala’s story and her fight for education for every child” Guggenheim said. “I believe this movie will speak to every girl and every family in the world."