Malala Yousafzai lends support to Twinkle Khanna's 'Padman'
The Bollywood star was invited to speak at The Oxford Union on her upcoming film
Pakistani documentary The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony is heading to New York City to screen at the Tribeca Festival in June.
The documentary follows a group of girls from Karachi’s Machhar Colony, one of Pakistan’s largest informal settlements, who battle a plethora of challenges to form a gymnastics team.
Facing poverty and rendered stateless by virtue of their ethnic backgrounds and bureaucracy, the girls’ inspiring tale of grit and determination will be screened as a part of the festival’s Documentary Competition on June 8 and 9.
Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel-winning women’s rights activist, is joining the documentary as an executive producer.
“I could not be more proud to support this beautiful film and the incredible young athletes at the heart of it,” Yousafzai said in a statement announcing her involvement. “The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony perfectly illustrates the power of sports to change how girls see themselves and how the world sees young women.”
She is joined by Emmy winner Mariska Hargitay, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Trish Adlesic and the film’s producer Amar Lohana.
Three-time Emmy-winning filmmaker Habiba Nosheen was particularly happy with the Nobel-laureate’s involvement.
“For years, Malala has been a global voice for girls’ education, and more recently, a powerful advocate for girls’ right to play, compete, and dream freely through sports,” she said in a statement to Variety. “That mission is at the very heart of our film, which celebrates the courage, joy, and ambition of remarkable Pakistani teenagers. Malala joins an extraordinary team of executive producers, including Mariska Hargitay, whose belief in the film has been invaluable as we prepare to share this story with audiences around the world.”
Hargitay was similarly pleased to have Yousafzai on board. “We’re honoured to have Malala join the team as executive producer. The heart of this film reflects her visionary, trailblazing advocacy for young girls,” she said. “The Gymnasts of Fisherman Colony is a beautiful portrait of courage and determination, embodied in a group of girls breaking through barriers to claim a larger, more expansive life. Their journey inspires me and moves me deeply.”