Today, the official trailer has been released for a documentary about the life of Malala Yousafzai: He Named Me Malala.

In 2009, at the age of 11, Malala  started a blog for BBC Urdu about life under Taliban rule in Pakistan under the pen name, Gul Makai.

In 2012, a gunman climbed onto her school bus in Swat Valley and shot 15-year-old Malala point blank in the head.

But she survived.

Rather than being terrified by the horrific event, Malala continued to fight even harder for her voice to be heard and for the right for women’s education.

Today, her real name has become synonymous with the battle for gender equality across the world. Malala stands for freedom, for strength and above all, for never giving up.

In 2013 Malala gave a speech to the United Nations in which she said:

“They thought a bullet would silence us, but they failed. Nothing changed in my life except this: Weaknesses, fear and hopelessness died. Strength, power and courage was born.”

In 2014, Malala became the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate and today she continues to be a leading campaigner for girls’ education and founded the Malala Fund.

The teenage activist is now 17 and lives in Birmingham with her family.

The film is directed by Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) and takes an intimate look into her life with her family.

The official synopsis says:

“The film gives us an inside glimpse into this extraordinary young girl’s life – from her close relationship with her father who inspired her love for education, to her impassioned speeches at the UN, to her everyday life with her parents and brothers.”

"I raise up my voice – not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard," said Malala.

The film will be released on 2nd October. Watch the trailer below. 

Words: Harriet Hall 

Images: Rex Features