A new documentary chronicles the poignant journey of an Afghan woman’s quest for personal liberation, a dream tragically cut short by the country’s political collapse. The film, shot in the tense period leading up to the Taliban’s return to power, follows Hawa as she finally pursues an education and a business of her own after a lifetime of obligation.
Married as a teenager to a much older man, Hawa spends her adult years raising a family. With her children grown, she seizes a long-awaited opportunity to learn to read and write and to launch a textile enterprise. Her personal ambitions, however, are shadowed by the gathering political storm, threatening to extinguish the very freedoms she has just begun to explore.
The film becomes a powerful vessel for family history, capturing raw conversations between generations. Hawa speaks openly about her unhappy marriage and past desires, revealing a personal history of constrained choices. This cycle of limitation appears poised to repeat with her own granddaughter, Zahra, who seeks refuge in the family home to continue her studies. A fleeting, tender image of the two learning to spell together on a shared whiteboard symbolizes a fragile hope for a different future. This hope is brutally dismantled as security deteriorates; Zahra is sent away for her safety and is ultimately forced into a marriage, mirroring her grandmother’s fate.
Amid scenes of personal progress, reports of advancing Taliban forces and their destructive path flash across television screens. The documentary itself becomes a testament to resilience, with filming continuing clandestinely after the director’s escape, facilitated by family members who remained behind. While the core family finds refuge abroad, the film leaves viewers with a sobering look at the uncertain and perilous futures facing the women who could not leave.
