Writing Hawa

Filmed over five years, this film follows three generations of Hazara women in Afghanistan. Forced into marriage as a child, Hawa learns to read at 52 and starts a textile business, while her daughter Najiba and granddaughter Zahra seek independence. The Taliban’s return in 2021 shatters their fragile progress, forcing separation, exile and renewed struggle. Najiba Noori: ‘War, violence, forced marriage, and lack of access to education have plagued and victimised countless Afghan women for decades. My mother’s dreams were stolen. She spent years housekeeping and raising children, yet never lost her curiosity or her desire to learn and experience life.

This film tells the story of my mother and our family in Afghanistan, where I have lived most of my life. It is a story of the struggle for independence and freedom for oppressed women and for the Hazara community in my homeland, and of those forced into migration and separation from home, country, culture and family.

Through a family window, we witness a turning point in Afghanistan’s history. The fall of Kabul and the Taliban’s return shatter the dreams of three generations — Zahra, Hawa and myself — as we stand at a crossroads, starting life again.

When Afghanistan falls into the hands of a group that erases women from society, the world turns a blind eye. With this film, I hope to create awareness, impact and change.’