Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
In this episode of Backlash Unfiltered, we sit down with Najiba Noori, the filmmaker behind Writing Hawa—a poignant documentary that intimately portrays the lives of three generations of Hazara women in Afghanistan. At the heart of the story is Hawa, a 52-year-old woman on a courageous journey of self-emancipation. Through her lens, we dive into the emotional, mental and spiritual toll of living under one of the most extreme forms of gender backlash and patriarchal control today. At a time when women in Afghanistan are being systematically erased, Najiba Noori’s work stands as a powerful act of resistance—amplifying voices that are marginalized and silenced. In our conversation, she shares the everyday acts of resistance that persist even in the darkest moments, and reflects on how storytelling can preserve dignity, where mainstream narratives often fall short, offering hope, and challenging dominant narratives that reduce women to victims. This episode is a powerful tribute to the resilience, courage, and hope of Afghan women—those whose strength endures, even when the world looks away. Tune in as we explore how Writing Hawa not only reclaims voice and visibility but also challenges us to rethink how we tell stories and reimagine solidarity in the face of gendered injustice. For those who’d like to learn more, you can visit writinghawa.com or follow the movie page on social media.
In this episode of Backlash Unfiltered, we sit down with Najiba Noori, the filmmaker behind Writing Hawa—a poignant documentary that intimately portrays the lives of three generations of Hazara women in Afghanistan. At the heart of the story is Hawa, a 52-year-old woman on a courageous journey of self-emancipation. Through her lens, we dive into the emotional, mental and spiritual toll of living under one of the most extreme forms of gender backlash and patriarchal control today. At a time when women in Afghanistan are being systematically erased, Najiba Noori’s work stands as a powerful act of resistance—amplifying voices that are marginalized and silenced. In our conversation, she shares the everyday acts of resistance that persist even in the darkest moments, and reflects on how storytelling can preserve dignity, where mainstream narratives often fall short, offering hope, and challenging dominant narratives that reduce women to victims. This episode is a powerful tribute to the resilience, courage, and hope of Afghan women—those whose strength endures, even when the world looks away. Tune in as we explore how Writing Hawa not only reclaims voice and visibility but also challenges us to rethink how we tell stories and reimagine solidarity in the face of gendered injustice. For those who’d like to learn more, you can visit writinghawa.com or follow the movie page on social media.
