Najiba Noori was making a portrait of her mother Hawa in Afghanistan when, in 2021, the Taliban assumed power once more following the US evacuation of the country. Up until then, Noori was following her mother’s impressive journey to independence, which began when all of her six children were grown up and as her husband, thirty years her senior, was increasingly suffering from dementia.
Noori continued with her portrait, but it evolved into something much wider in scope, showing how the Afghan people experienced the dreaded return to Taliban rule.
The film is shot over several years, mostly inside the house of Hawa, where she lives with some of her children and her ill husband. Hawa has always taken care of everyone ever since she was married off as a thirteen-year-old girl. She is finally starting to take charge of her own life, heartwarmingly supported by all of her children, both sons and daughters. Her husband is unable to do anything: he’s bedridden and completely reliant on the goodwill of his family.
Noori has decided to be her mother’s best friend, which includes asking her intimate questions about her past, her marriage, her fears and her fantasies. This results in an honest, emotional and often humorous portait of a warm, loving but also resilient woman, who raised her children to think and fend for themselves and is now determined to make her dreams of learning to read and write come true. She also endeavours to start her own business.
It would have been wonderful enough simply to watch her study diligently, negotiate fees for people who will work for her and make pragmatic decisions for her business. But we also see her take in and care for her granddaughter, who had been kept captive by her father for twelve years after his wife, Hawa’s daughter, divorced him.
But as she makes progress, slowly but surely, news of the imminent exit by the US military begins to filter throughout the house via news on television. It is insightful to see how the Afghan airwaves are clearly not yet under the control of the Taliban as warnings are issued about what is to come. Hawa’s personal odyssey is then intertwined with images of the Taliban taking over the city and its impact on everyday life, changing women’s lives most as dress codes are imposed, schools are closed and rights are taken away.
It feels like a bitter privilege to be able to witness all of this from the viewpoint of those affected, as it shows how easily human (and female in particular) rights can be taken away almost overnight, through sheer brutal force, which should have all us terrified. Noori has to make the heart-wrenching decision to flee the country; as a female journalist, she’s at extreme risk. Her brother takes over the camera, but even he’s not safe – when he’s out on the street filming, Taliban supporters beat him up severely.
In her film, Noori manages to create a precious and unique document of a terrible moment in history, from the perspective of the ones who are usually being overlooked, while also painting a detailed and very human portrait of her mother and the hardship she suffers. At the same time, the film shows the importance of education and of raising compassionate and supportive men.
2024, Afghanistan, 84 minutes
Director Najiba Noori
Co-director Rasul Noori
Script Najiba Noori, Afsaneh Salari
Producer Christian Popp
Cinematography Najiba Noori, Rasul Noori
Editor Afsaneh Salari
Music Afshin Azizi
Sound Design Tim van Peppen
International Sales First Hand Films
