Thousands Of LA Students Saw Premiere of Nobel-Prize Winner Malala Documentary
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) – Nearly 7,000 students in Los Angeles County attended a West-Coast premiere of a documentary about Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating education for girls.
Academy Award winner Davis Guggenheim made the documentary called "He Named Me Malala," which is an intimate portrait of the 18-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is the youngest person ever to win the prestigious award.
When Malala was 15, the Taliban shot and severely wounded her as she was returning home on a school bus in Pakistan. Her attack sparked an outcry from supporters around the world. She miraculously survived and is now a leading a global campaign for girls' education as co-founder of The Malala Fund.
"I know at my school there are a lot of people that complain and say school is such a drag. But over in the other countries, there are people fighting and dying for the right to go to school and get an education," student Nicole Mendoza said.
Francis Arana is a senior in Boyle Heights. She sees similarities in her own struggle for a fair education. "I come from an immigrant family very low-income. Both of my parents work. I have to take care of my siblings all the time," she said. "I have to miss some extra classes that I could be taking to take care of them."
"If I ever had any doubt about being a teacher. I don't any more. I definitely want to be a teacher. She has inspired me," Arana said.
High school student Chantal Serrano said: "She's all of us in one movie in one person just saying, like hey you know, you've to fight for your rights no matter what."
Guggenheim said he made the film for his own school-aged daughters. "I think when you educate a girl, we know that great things happen," the film director and producer said. "My daughters sometimes feel a little bit insecure. Sometimes, they feel like they don't have a voice. When you see this story about this amazing girl, you get inspired.
Guggenheim said he wants girls to know that if Malala can do it, so can they.
The special screening at the Microsoft Theater in Downtown L.A. was organized by Girls Build LA, a new non-profit aimed at encouraging girls to pursue an education.
Malala was on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert promoting her movie on Sept. 25.
"He Named Me Malala" opens Friday in theaters.
