We Will Rise: Michelle Obama’s Mission to Education Girls Around the World, CNN Films documentary, will air this week in in more than 200 countries.
The project received a rousing Tuesday at a White House screening that included Meryl Streep.
It is co-produced by the same CNN team that three years ago created Girl Rising, a docu about nine girls from developing countries in pursuit of their dreams. “We Will Rise” bows in the U.S. on Wednesday.
“This past June we had the opportunity to revisit the critical topic of girls’ education when we followed the first lady during visits to Morocco and Liberia,” said CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker. He said it resulted in the new film about young women with big dreams.
For Obama, the film is an important reminder of the courage and determination some girls make to pursue their education.
Several of the film’s subjects attended the screening, after participating in a panel discussion hosted by CNN correspondent Isha Sesay.
Offering a video from London was Indian actress Freida Pinto, who also joined Obama on the trip.
“It’s about telling the stories of these girls and girls like them across the globe — not just their challenges and their struggles, but their dreams and their aspirations — which are big,” Obama said. “Their unrelenting bravery and determination … the miles they have to walk each day just to get to school. The hours they spend each night studying, making their families proud. Their refusal to give up, even in the face of some overwhelming odds that would stifle many of us.”
Streep, who also joined the first lady on her June trip, praised her dedication to enriching the lives of young women throughout the world. “Places that hold women back suffer economically and in esteem,” she said. Streep was delighted to participate in the “incredible initiative.”
Among others attending the event were reps from Let Girls Learn, a U.S. government initiative to promote education around the world, and Rise Up’s Let Girls Lead.
The panel and screening coincided with the worldwide celebration of International Day of the Girl.
