Writing Hawa by Afghan director Najiba Noori and co-directed by Rasul Noori will have its world premiere in the international competition of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) on November 17. Now, a first trailer reveals a first look at the documentary about a 52-year-old woman in Afghanistan who, after an arranged marriage, is trying to emancipate herself.
“Filmed in five years, Writing Hawa it's the story of three generations of Hazara women from the same family in Afghanistan,” reads the doc's description. Hazaras are an ethnic group in the country.
“With unique access and empathy, director Najiba Noori films her mother Hawa and granddaughter Zahra in their aspirations to emancipate themselves from patriarchal traditions,” explains the synopsis. “Forced into marriage as a child, Hawa is 52 years old when she can really start learning to read and write. With the support of his daughter he opens a small textile business: he researches traditional Hazara embroidery in the Bamiyan region and transforms it into modern clothes to sell in Kabul.”
Hawa ultimately rescues her niece from her abusive father in a remote village and brings her to the capital. However, the Taliban's seizure of power in August 2021 disrupts the lives of the three women.
“War, violence, 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 spent years taking care of the house 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 genuine support from her children 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 that 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 jogens, in association with ARTE France and EOdocs, with support from 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 film and international distribution outside of the countries of production.
“I'm tired of staying at home all the time,” Hawa says in the trailer before a scene shows her learning to write her own name. Meanwhile, her daughter praises her for “doing her best so that I could live a completely different life.”
The trailer also shows the director saying that “I had five minutes to make a decision” when the Taliban took power, while her mother has some choice words to share.
In 2023, the documentary on the Armenian war 1489 by director Shoghakat Vardanyan won the Best Film Award at the IDFA. This year's edition will take place from 14 to 24 November.
Watch the trailer for Writing Hawa under.