Najiba Noori finds herself in a unique position when her documentary about her mother coincides with the American retreat from Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban. Filmed over five years, Writing Hawa focuses on 52-year-old Hawa, who spends her time cloistered in her home caring for her ailing elderly husband, who is developing dementia. Preparing for his eventual demise, Hawa begins teaching herself to write in the hope of expanding her burgeoning dressmaking business. Around this time, her teenage niece, Zahra, runs away from home to avoid an arranged marriage. Together, the two begin practicing their literary skills in the hope of sending Zahra to college. Another upset comes to the family’s plans with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, followed by the 2021 overthrow of the government by Taliban forces.
Writing Hawa toes the line between personal documentary and cinéma vérité. What was meant as a simple case study exposé on patriarchal culture in Afghanistan and the generational trauma from centuries of colonialism unfolding in the mountainous nation ended up capturing events no one could have predicted. Most fascinating to me was the segment at the end where, after Najiba has fled the country, the family takes over the documentation. They capture many heartbreaking and illuminating moments from the earliest days of the Taliban takeover, including Hawa’s son being beaten by Taliban fighters for recording in public.
I think my biggest complaint about Writing Hawa is the poor quality of the subtitles: without a proper outline, the white subtitles often fade into the clothing or walls in the background, rendering them useless for those who don’t speak the language. This is the only oversight, however, in an otherwise fantastic and unique documentary. For filmmaking students, Writing Hawa can serve as an example of how to roll with the punches when making a documentary, and for women’s studies and modern history educators, this film is a fantastic choice for classroom viewing. Highly recommended.
What makes Writing Hawa a valuable resource for women's studies programs?
Writing Hawa provides an intimate look at the lived experience of Afghan women under both pre- and post-Taliban rule, revealing the intersecting pressures of patriarchy, generational trauma, and war. It captures the resilience and quiet resistance of women like Hawa and Zahra as they pursue education and autonomy despite societal and familial limitations. This makes the film an ideal case study for discussions on gender roles, literacy, domestic labor, and empowerment within Islamic and post-colonial contexts.
Why should public and academic libraries add this Afghan documentary to their collections?
This documentary stands out not only for its timeliness but also for its unique perspective: it shifts from a filmmaker’s lens to that of the subjects themselves during a period of national upheaval. That rare transition offers an unparalleled, grassroots perspective on the Taliban’s resurgence and the impact of political instability on daily life. Libraries looking to expand offerings on Afghanistan, women’s rights, or first-person nonfiction storytelling should strongly consider acquiring this film.
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