Watch We Will Rise: Michelle Obama's Mission to Educate Girls Around the World

We Will Rise: Michelle Obama's Mission to Educate Girls Around the World is a documentary film that sheds light on the struggles of girls around the world who are denied access to education. This CNN film premiered in October 2016 and stars former First Lady Michelle Obama, actress Freida Pinto, and CNN correspondent Isha Sesay.

The film showcases the devastating impact of global poverty and how it disproportionately affects girls, who are often denied education to take care of their families, marry young or work in the field. We Will Rise, produced by the Global Girls Alliance, which is a part of the Obama Foundation, highlights the resilience of young girls who are fighting for their rights and the importance of investing in education as a means of economic growth, empowerment, and progress.

The film takes us on a journey across four different countries, featuring some of the most innovative programs and inspiring initiatives aimed at promoting girls' education. The documentary begins with Michelle Obama's trip to Liberia, a country that has been ravaged by civil war and where 70% of girls aged between 15-24 are illiterate. Through the film, the audience gets a glimpse of the day to day struggle of the girls in Liberia, who walk miles to get to school, face sexual exploitation and abuse, and have limited access to health and safety.

We also see Michelle Obama who, in her role as the First Lady of the United States, launched the Let Girls Learn initiative in 2015 to empower adolescent girls around the world. Dressed in a bright pink jacquard wrap skirt and matching cardigan, she meets young girls at the R. S. Caulfield School in Liberia- an institution that was rebuilt and reopened after it was closed due to the Ebola outbreak in 2014. Obama's visit to the school is a ray of hope for the girls, who cheer and listen to her powerful speech about the importance of education.

The documentary then takes a detour and moves to Morocco, where we see the work of NGO EFE-Morocco, which provides vocational training for girls who cannot afford higher education. We are introduced to some of the girls in the program who work as seamstresses, bakers, auto mechanics, and entrepreneurs. They share their personal accounts, struggles, and ambitions, showing the audience that access to education and skills training can transform lives, families, and even communities.

The film also features another powerful African voice, Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel laureate, who survived a Taliban attack for promoting girls' education in Pakistan. Malala discusses the global education crisis, why girls are disproportionately affected, and how her Malala Fund is addressing the issue by funding advocacy, education and social change. The documentary is also graced by comments from actress Freida Pinto, who shares her personal story of growing up in Mumbai, India, and the severe pushback she faced while pursuing her dreams.

The final part of the documentary takes us to rural Vietnam, where we meet the young girls who battle to overcome poverty, cultural stereotypes, and the legacy of war to attend class. The film highlights the work of Room to Read, an international non-profit organization that works to develop literacy and gender equality in education. We see the foundation's work in action, as it provides girls with quality books, mentorship, and practical skills development such as financial literacy and public speaking.

We Will Rise: Michelle Obama's Mission to Educate Girls Around the World is a powerful and inspiring documentary film that raises awareness about the education crisis facing young girls around the world. Through personal accounts, struggles, and triumphs, the film illustrates the countless obstacles girls encounter on their journey to learning, progress and success. The documentary leaves the audience encouraged by the resilience, determination and potential of young girls and the transformative impact of education.

We Will Rise: Michelle Obama's Mission to Educate Girls Around the World is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (1 episodes). The series first aired on August 30, 2016.