WRITING HAWA

Directed by Najiba Noori FRANCE, NETHERLANDS, QATAR, AFGHANISTAN (2024), 1h.24m

Close Up 2020-2021 alumni

IDFA FILM FESTIVAL AND FORUM 2024

Forty years after her arranged marriage as a child, Hawa is eager to finally begin the life that was taken from her. Hawa wants to be literate and have the joyful experiences she never had as a youth. However, Hawa is once again blocked by the oppressive barriers of the Taliban regime, as she tries to liberate herself as an independent woman.

Afghan documentary maker Najiba Noori offers not only a loving and intimate portrait of her mother Hawa, but also shows in detail how the arduous improvement of the position of women is undone by geopolitical violence. The film follows the fortunes of Noori’s family, who belong to the Hazaras, an ethnic group that has suffered greatly from discrimination and persecution.

Hawa was married off at the age of 13 to her much older husband, who now needs care. She has fought tirelessly to ensure a better future for her children and despite her husband’s complaints, is determined to learn to read and start her own business. She therefore watches in dismay as the United States prepare a deal with the Taliban. Meanwhile, she takes her 14-year old granddaughter Zahra under her wing, who has run away from her abusive father.

When the last US troops withdraw from Kabul in August 2021, a lightning-fast Taliban takeover ensues. Najiba’s niece has to return to the village she escaped from, while Najiba has only minutes to decide whether to flee to Paris with nine kilograms of luggage and two hard drives filled with film material.

Financial Support & Awards:

MADRE (NYC) Grant 2019
Docs Up Fund 2021
Catapult Film Fund Development Grant 2022
IDFA Forum Producer’s Connection 2022
FIFDH The International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights Panel Participation 2023
IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund Grant
IDFA Film Festival and Forum 2024