Malala Yousafzai’s production “Stranger at the Gate” nominated in the Oscars
Pakistani education and peace activist Malala Yousafzai received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 along with Indian social reformer and child activist Kailash Satyarthi. In fact, she was the youngest person ever to have earned the Nobel Prize at 17 years of age. Over the last decade, she has advocated for female education and rights and has become a global icon. But guess what, her contributions reach beyond that into the entertainment industry as well.
Wondering how? Well, Malala recently turned into an executive producer for a short documentary called Stranger at the Gate that has been nominated in the “Best Documentary Short Film category at this year’s Oscars. In fact, on 13th February, Malala is all set to attend the much-coveted pre-Oscars luncheon as the guest of the American filmmaker Joshua Seftel who has made the documentary. Oscars 2023 is scheduled for 13th March.
The 30-minute-long documentary revolves around an Afghani refugee named Bibi Bahrami living in a small US town and how she prevents an US Islamophobic Marine from detonating a bomb he has planted in her local mosque. The story is about the power of forgiveness and redemption and how the terrorist’s plan takes unexpected turns as he comes face to face with his victims and is forced to confront his own actions. The plot although isn’t derived directly from Malala’s life is loosely based on it.
Being intrigued with the storyline, Malala was prompted to become the executive producer of the documentary. She hopes that the film can preach the powers of kindness and make the audience aware about the harmful side-effects of having preconceived notions about Muslims in general. She believes that amidst rising hate crimes around the world, this story is a testament to our shared humanity. Following the luncheon, Malala and Seftel will also sit for several interviews, starting with one in Los Angeles.
The other nominations in the Best Documentary Short Film category for the 95th Academy Awards include: the Indian film The Elephant Whisperers directed by Guneet Monga and Kartiki Gonsalves, The Martha Mitchell Effect by Beth Levison and Anne Alvergue, Haula by Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaeva, and How Do You Measure a Year by Jay Rosenblatt.