Malala Yousafzai, youngest Nobel Prize laureate, has joined another Oscar shortlisted documentary about a US Marine’s change of heart, as its executive producer.
‘Stranger at the Gate’ is about a US Marine, Richard “Mac” McKinney, who had initially planned to bomb a mosque, but ended up converting to Islam.
“When I first saw this film, it opened my mind and changed my perspective. I am honoured to support @JSeftel‘s Stranger at the Gate, a powerful true story about redemption,” Yousafzai wrote on Twitter.
The short-film has won accolades at several film festivals, and is on the road to win more in the future.
Suffering from PTSD, McKinney begin to plan on exploding a mosque in his hometown in Indiana. He begin to frequent the place of worship with an aim to gather information towards his plan.
But as time passed by, he was rather impressed by the kindness of the attendees and refugees present there.
He eventually had a change of heart by the Muslims, before abandoning his plan and converting to Islam.
McKinney is now not only a Muslim, he is also the president of the same mosque that he was planning to bomb.
“This film is a powerful true story of forgiveness and redemption,” Yousafzai told Variety. “I hope the film challenges every viewer to question their assumptions and show kindness to everyone they meet.”
When I first saw this film, it opened my mind and changed my perspective. I am honoured to support @JSeftel's Stranger at the Gate, a powerful true story about redemption. Watch the Oscar shortlisted doc here: https://t.co/EViPKv3ymZ
— Malala Yousafzai (@Malala) January 16, 2023
Earlier this month, the Nobel prize winner, an executive producer for the film Joyland, expressed her joy and wish for the film’s success as a shortlisted nominee for the Best International Film category at the Oscars.
The film is still banned in Punjab while being aired in other areas of Pakistan. Despite all hurdles the film is winning hearts and minds and there is great hope that it will win the Oscar, too.
