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Documenting a Pakistani Girls Transformation - NYTimes.com

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DocumentingaPakistaniGirlsTransformation

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TheMakingofMalala: ThestoryofMalalaYousafzai,thePakistanischoolgirl,toldbyTheTimessAdamB.Ellick,who madea2009documentaryaboutherbeforeshewasaninternationalstar.

ByADAMB.ELLICK Published:October7,2013 189Comments FACEBOOK TWITTER

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ThereisastorytoMalalaYousafzaisimprobabletransformation fromaquiet,deferential11yearoldlivingnearPakistanstribalareas toateenagespokeswomanforgirlseducation.Malala,shotinthe headbytheTalibanlastyear,hasbeennominatedfortheNobel PeacePrize,tobeannouncedonFriday.

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Itbeginswithherdeterminedfather, SHARE ZiauddinYousafzai,butgetspushed PRINT forwardbyintensenewsmedia SINGLEPAGE coverageofherdaringcampaign.I metMalalain2009,whenshewas REPRINTS determinedtodefytheoddsand becomeadoctor.Ispentsixmonthsmakingtwo documentariesaboutherlifethathelpedbringherbrave campaigntotheworld,transformingherintoapublic figure.AftertheTalibantriedtosilenceher,TheNewYork Timeswovethefootagetogetherintoasingle,32minute documentary.

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SincetheattacklastOctober,Ihaveattimesstruggledwithaquestionjournalistsoften confront:Bygivingheraplatform,didIinadvertentlyplayaroleinhershooting?I wantedtounderstandhowthisallunfoldedsoIbegancombingthroughnearly20hours ofunseenfootageofthefamilylongbeforetheywerecoachedbypublicists,andbefore theyhadsignedmultimilliondollarbookandmoviedeals. WhilemyoriginaldocumentarytellsthestoryofMalalasstruggleforeducationintheface oftheTaliban,thisbackstoryalsoraises somesoberinganddifficultquestions.Malalawasabraveyounggirl,advocatingfora betterfutureforallgirlsinhercountry,butwasitfairforhertofightsopubliclyinsucha

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Documenting a Pakistani Girls Transformation - NYTimes.com

dangerousenvironment?Orwasshethrustintothelimelight byadultscaptivatedbythepowerofachildstaringdownthe Taliban? GivenMalalasreemergenceontheworldstagehealing fromherwoundsandnominatedfortheNobelIthought itwasagoodtimetoanswerthefivequestionspeopleoften askmeabouthowIcametoknowthisresilientyoung woman. HowdidyoufindMalala? InDecember2008,whileworkingasareporterinThe TimessbureauinAfghanistan,Ireadasmallnewsarticlein thePakistanipressabouthowtheTalibanintheSwatValley plannedtobangirlseducationinJanuary2009.Theban wouldaffect50,000schoolgirls,andIwasastonishedthat thestorywasnotbeingmoreaggressivelyreportedinthe media.

CourtesyAdamB.Ellick

MalalaYousafza,herfatherZiaudin andfilmmakerAdamB.Ellick.

YOUR REACTION Please share your thoughts on Malala Yousafzai's story or ask Adam B. Ellick, the reporter, a question. Post Your Comment Below

WhenIwenttoPakistantoreport,acourageousPakistani journalistwhohadreportedinSwat,IrfanAshraf,introducedmetoaprivateschool owner,ZiauddinYousafzai,whowascampaigningtosavehisbusiness.Heshowedup withhis11yearolddaughter,Malala. AfteralengthyinterviewwithZia,IaskedhimifIcouldaskMalalaafewquestions.She beganansweringinPashtu,andIrfantranslated.Afterabout10minutes,Irealizedfrom Malalasfacialexpressionsthatsheunderstoodmyquestions.Iinterruptedtoaskifshe spokeEnglish,andshesaid,Yes,Iwasjustsayingthereisafearinmyheart.Iturnedto ZiaandIrfanandsaid:Whatswrongwithyoupeople?ShespeaksbetterEnglishthen therestofyouandyouaretranslatingforher!Wealllaughed. WhenIsatacrossMalalaonthefloorthatday,itcertainlyneveroccurredtomethatthis shygirlwouldbecomesoprominent. Whywouldherfatherparticipateinsuchadocumentary,knowingthe dangers?

ByAdamB.EllickandIrfanAshraf

A2009documentarybyAdamB.EllickprofiledMalalaYousafzai,aPakistanigirlwhose schoolwasshutdownbytheTaliban.Ms.YousafzaiwasshotbyagunmanonOct.9,2012.

Whenwefirstmet,IsawZiaasamiddleman,someonewhocouldintroducemetoa familyaffectedbythecrisisinSwat.Hequicklysaidnofamilywouldagree.Laterthatday, wediscussedifhisfamilycouldbedocumented.Hewascautious,butintrigued.Hesaw TheTimesasamegaphonetotheoutsideworld.HisfriendFazalMaulaZahid,anactivist whocofoundedalocalorganizationadvocatingforpeaceinSwat,satwithusduringour firstinterview.HebluntlytoldZiaudinthatthecrisisdemandedthattheyserveasagents ofchange.AlotwasbeingsaidinPashtuaswell,soIdidntunderstandallofthe discussions.AsZiadescribedtheharrowingdangersinSwat,Ibecameskittish.Itwasthe

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Documenting a Pakistani Girls Transformation - NYTimes.com

onlytimeinmycareerthatasourcewasbecomingincreasinglyinterestedinastory,while Iwasbecomingincreasinglytentative.
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Thisarticlehasbeenrevisedtoreflectthefollowingcorrection: Correction:October9,2013 AnearlierversionofthisarticleincorrectlystatedtheyearthattheTalibanplannedto bangirlseducationinSwat.Theyearwas2009,not2010.

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YOUR REACTION

Please share your thoughts on Malala Yousafzai's story or post questions for Adam B. Ellick, the reporter, in the comments below.
Mr. Ellick will be reading the comments this week and may respond to selected questions.

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Katherine

SuburbanPhiladelphia

I'mcuriousastowhyitwasokforMalalatohaveaplaceinherfather's activistworld,butitwasoutofthequestionforthereportertoeveninteract withhermother.Isitamarriedvs.notmarriedthing?Agenerationalthing?

Oct.7,2013at4:36p.m.
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AdamB.Ellick

VideoJournalist,NewYorkTimes

OneofthethingsthatamazedmethemostaboutZiawastherapid progressofthisfamilyinameregeneration.Imean,injustafew decades,hewentfromanarrangedmarriagewithanilliteratewoman toraisinganeducateddaughterpushedintopublicview.Thatisarare leap,andwhenitdoeshappen,itoftentakesseveralgenerations, especiallyinPakistan.Istillcan'texplainit.Idon'tthinkit'samarried thing.IthinkthatZia,likemanyselfmadepeople,justchangedalot overthecourseofhislife.Manyofthetraditionshewastaughtwere pittedagainsthisnewbeliefs.Italwaysfeltlikehehadafootinthe StoneAgeandanotherinthe21stcentury.Theresultisthisglaring contradiction.IoncereportedastoryaboutwhyPakistanhasverylow ratesofworkingwomen,andafemalescholarnotedthatPakistani menhavenotchangedasfastasthewomen.Thatalwaysstuckwith me,andfeelsrelevantundertheroofofthisfamily.
InreplytoKatherine Oct.10,2013at8:03p.m. READMORECOMMENTS

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