Writing Hawa by Afghan filmmaker Najiba Noori and co-directed by Rasul Noori is set to world premiere in the international competition at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) on Nov. 17. Now, a first trailer reveals a first look at the documentary about a 52-year-old woman in Afghanistan who, after her arranged marriage, is looking to emancipate herself.
“Filmed over five years, Writing Hawa is the story of three generations of Hazara women from the same family in Afghanistan,” says a description of the doc. The Hazaras are an ethnic group in the country.
“With unique access and empathy, director Najiba Noori films her mother Hawa and her niece Zahra in their aspirations to emancipate themselves from patriarchal traditions,” the synopsis explains. “Forced into marriage as a child, Hawa is 52 years old when she can truly start learning to read and write. With the support of her daughter, she opens a small textile business: she searches for traditional Hazara embroideries in the Bamiyan region and turns them into modern dresses to sell in Kabul.”
Hawa eventually saves her granddaughter from her abusive father in a remote village and brings her to the capital. However, the takeover by the Taliban in August 2021 turns the lives of the three women upside down.
“War, violence, the lack of access to education, and forced marriages have plagued and victimized countless Afghan women for decades,” says director Noori. “My mother’s dreams were stolen, and she has spent years housekeeping and raising children, but she never lost her curiosity and motivation to learn and experience life. Hawa is blessed with unconditional love for and from her children, gaining the genuine support of her sons to be educated, empowered, and free.”
She adds about her film: “It shows Afghanistan before and after their arrival when the country falls into the hands of a terrorist group who is erasing women from society.”
Writing Hawa was produced by Christian Popp for Tag Film, co-produced by Hasse van Nunen and Renko Douze for Een van de jongens, in association with ARTE France and EOdocs, with the support of CNC, Sundance Film Institute, Doha Film Institute, IDA, Catapult Film Fund, Procirep/Angoa, Docs Up Fund, Madre, FilmAid, and Women Make Movies. First Hand Films represents the film and for international distribution outside of the production countries.
“I’m fed up with staying at home all the time,” Hawa is shown saying in the trailer before a scene shows her learning to write her own name. Meanwhile, her daughter lauds her for “doing her best so I could live a completely different life.”
The trailer also shows the filmmaker sharing that “I had five minutes to make a decision” when the Taliban took over, while her mother has some choice words to share.
In 2023, the Armenian war documentary 1489 by director Shoghakat Vardanyan won the best film prize at IDFA. This year’s edition takes place Nov. 14-24.
Check out the trailer for Writing Hawa below.
