书写哈瓦 Writing Hawa

Filmed over five years, this documentary is the chronicle of an Afghan family and, more particularly, of its central character, my mother, Hawa. When she was 13 years old, her parents set her up in an arranged marriage with Musa, who was 31 years older than her. Hawa had no romantic love for Musa but had six children with him. My father, Musa, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2019. Hawa decides that this moment is her last chance to start her life over as an independent woman.

Hawa had never lost her desire to learn and to experience more of life. Inspired by poems, music, and books she would pick up, she asks her children to teach her to read and write. She launches a small business of traditional textile handicrafts. Now at 53, Hawa also changes her appearance using make-up and dressing up beautifully. She brings her granddaughter Zahra to Kabul to protect her from an arranged marriage. In 2019, I picked up the camera to document my mother’s transformation, and I never stopped filming her since. However, a dramatic turn of events has created new barriers for Hawa and my family.