Teen activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has become one of the biggest names in activism in recent years and to further cement her status as one of the most important people of this generation, Fox Searchlight Pictures has acquired most of the global rights to the documentary “He Named Me Malala.” (“Most” because StudioCanal will represent the film in France).

The documentary, directed by Davis Guggenheim and produced by Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, will give, as The Hollywood Reporter quotes, an “intimate portrait” of Yousafzai. Fox Searchlight presidents Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula stated that bringing the documentary to the world “will be an honor for all of us here at Searchlight.” They also stated that Yousafzai’s “bravery in the face of adversity brought us to tears.” Yousafzai’s life has been one dominated by courage in the face of adversity, particularly highlighted by the Taliban’s attack on her because of her fight for girls’ education.

The documentary will be one of the most important documentaries this year, for sure, but it’s also certainly be one to watch throughout this movie season. From where I’m sitting, it’d be easy to see it as a clear Oscar contender for Best Documentary. The only variable is just how far it will go in the Oscar race.

What do you think about this news? Give your opinions in the comments section below.

Malala Yousafzai on The Daily Show

By Monique Jones

Monique Jones blogs about race and culture in entertainment, particularly movies and television. You can read her articles at Racialicious, and her new site, COLOR . You can also listen to her new podcast, What would Monique Say.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *