Malala aspires to increase the visibility of people of colour in the film industry, identifying herself as "an activist and a storyteller"
The teenage activist argues that audiences should be allowed to watch shows created by people of colour if they are allowed to watch shows created by white people.
Malala Yousafzai, the laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize, is not only a writer and activist but also an ordinary young woman with specific interests, including binge-watching. Like everyone else, she enjoys seeing herself reflected in the media she consumes.
She spoke up about her likes and dislikes in an interview with Variety for their Power of Women celebration. She mentioned that she has recently been enjoying Stranger Things, largely thanks to the antics of Dustin Henderson. She also opened up about her expanding interests in entertainment and politics.
Yousafzai may speak passionately about girls' rights to an education, but she's just like the rest of us regarding her Netflix addiction. Yousafzai, raised in the Swat Valley, said in the journal that she is a TV addict who watched sitcoms like Mind Your Language and Ugly Betty to learn English and understand Western society.
She's turned her interest in television into more than a pastime by founding her production firm, Extracurricular Productions. She wanted to have her "name there" in media such as television shows, documentaries, and films.
It's always a challenge for me to identify my occupation on the many forms that require it. To me, storytelling and activism go hand in hand. "After more than a decade of activism, I've come to realise that we shouldn't restrict activism to the work of NGOs alone; there's also the element of influencing people's thoughts and ideas — and that takes a little more effort," said the 25-year-old.
She talked about how she'd "love to do" a documentary or film with Angelina Jolie, a Hollywood actress known for her work as an actor and a humanitarian, in which they could "share the experiences of children, refugees, or women and girls."
Yousafzai inked a multiyear programming agreement with Apple TV+ last year to bring dramas, comedies, documentaries, animation, and children's shows to the table, hoping to inspire people worldwide.
"In Hollywood, you're often told (either directly or through implication) that the characters are too young, too brown, or too Muslim, or that if one programme about a person of colour is done, then that's it — there's no reason to make another one. Yousafzai has stated that this must alter.
A woman, a Muslim, a Pashtun, a Pakistani, and a person of colour, here's my introduction: "I am all of these things. In addition, I've recently finished watching Succession, Ted Lasso, and Severance, all of which have predominantly white casts, with a disproportionate number of white guys. I believe that if audiences can watch those shows, they should also be able to watch shows created by people of colour, produced by people of colour, directed by people of colour, and starring people of colour. It's doable, and I'll see to it that it happens.
She has expressed a desire to give a platform to new Muslim women authors and directors. The stuff she presents should be enjoyable so that "people fall in love with the characters and have the nicest time together," but she also wants to confront some preconceptions in society.
Yousafzai has stated her intention to spread awareness about the plight of refugees. She has stated that she does not visit refugee camps to act as an "ambassador or representative" of the people there, as they are more than capable of speaking for themselves, but rather to "bring attention so that the camera is switched towards them."
She hints at a future in politics and possibly returning to Pakistan. Still, as a leader rather than an activist, her book, I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. She earned her Politics, Philosophy, and Economics degree from Oxford University two years ago. This is the same major that has produced no less than four British prime leaders.
Her response to a question about her plans was, "I don't want to enter into British politics for sure," as reported by Variety. Yousafzai elaborated that she sees the fight for girls' education and gender equality as a launching pad into politics. No promises, but I doubt my future holds serving as a nation's prime minister. What happens next? Maybe that's also political.
On October 9, 2018, it will have been ten years since Yousafzai narrowly escaped an assassination attempt by the Taliban when she was just 15 years old. Attacking her as she walked home from school in Mingora, militants later claimed they were motivated by their hatred of her pro-peace, anti-Taliban, and secular stance.