On Monday, September 8, director Najiba Noori will be present at Rialto De Pijp to answer questions from the audience after the 7:00 PM screening. On the occasion of the premiere of Writing Hawa, UN Women will provide an introduction and moderate the Q&A.
Since 2002, UN Women has been committed to supporting the rights and resilience of Afghan women and girls. Despite increasing restrictions, the organization remains active in the country, supporting more than 200 women-led organizations, from activists to journalists. They provide funding, training, humanitarian aid, and psychosocial support, while amplifying Afghan women’s voices worldwide and documenting the impact of the ongoing women’s rights crisis.
Writing Hawa
Afghan Hawa was only twelve when she ended up in an arranged marriage. Forty years later, now that her husband is beginning to suffer from dementia, she sees an opportunity to finally learn to read and write. With the support of her daughter Najiba, she starts a small business that transforms traditional fabrics into modern dresses, which she sells in the capital Kabul. Her granddaughter Zahra lives in a remote village, where she is abused by her father. She manages to rescue her from his clutches and takes her to Kabul, where they study together and make plans for the future. The Taliban's takeover in 2021 turns everything upside down. Zahra has to return to her father, Najiba had to flee and ended up in France. From there, she supports her mother in realising her dreams.
For five years, filmmaker Najiba Noori followed the story of her mother and niece, and her own role in it, a story about women who want to break free from patriarchal traditions.
