NOBEL Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai identifies herself as an ordinary girl and in so many ways she is.

She is timid around dogs, has a soft spot for Minions, is shy when it comes to boys and her favourite novel is Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist.

But what sets the 18-year-old apart is that she was not afraid to speak out against the Taliban to protect her rights when most others were terrified to do so.

Malala lived in the Swat Valley in Pakistan under Taliban occupation.

Her dad Ziauddin ran a chain of schools and Malala became a passionate advocate for education for women.

The cowardly Taliban banned girls from attending school fearing it would lead to more people standing up against them.

And it almost cost Malala her life when she was shot in the head on her school bus on October 9, 2012. She was just 15 at the time.

An Inconvenient Truth director Davis Guggenheim's documentary film chronicles the lead up to the assassination attempt, Malala's miraculous recovery in the UK and how she sparked an international movement.

But the film also delves into her family life and reveals the real teenager underneath – a girl who was studying for her GCSEs while dealing with both death threats and a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

What shines through is not only Malala's resilience but also her fiery intelligence and charisma that was powered by her close and loving bond with her activist dad.

The film portrays the remarkable way she has taken public appearances and media attention across the world in her stride while the fact she has never felt anger towards her attackers proves inspirational.

At the heart of the true story are the values of courage and defiance to stand up against fear, intimidation and violence. Something we can all learn from in a society where we often take our rights for granted.

RATING: 8/10

DAVID MORGAN