Three Afghan women from different social backgrounds have to face and tackle some of the strongest challenges of becoming a mother in Kabul. Hava goes through her days taking care of the child in her belly when no one cares about herself at all. Maryam, an educated TV news reporter, is about to get a divorce from her husband when she finds out she is pregnant. And Ayesha, an 18-year old girl, accepts to marry her cousin because she is pregnant by her boyfriend who disappears after hearing the news.

HAVA, MARYAM, AYESHA is the story of three women who have to independently navigate their complex personal and social predicament, marking a pivotal moment in their lives. It is a powerful depiction of motherhood in a society strictly lead by men.

Born in 1985, Sahraa Karimi is an Afghan filmmaker who pursued film studies in Slovakia, earning a Ph.D. in film directing. With over 30 short fiction films and documentaries, some winning international awards, Karimi made history as the first female managing director of the Afghan Film Organization before the Taliban regained control of Kabul and she had to leave the country. HAVA, MARYAM, AYESHA is Sahraa’s debut fiction feature which was entirely shot in Kabul and premiered at Venice International Film Festival.