Movie spotlight
A love letter from a young mother to her daughter, the film tells the story of Waad al-Kateab’s life through five years of the uprising in Aleppo, Syria as she falls in love, gets married and gives birth to Sama, all while cataclysmic conflict rises around her. Her camera captures incredible stories of loss, laughter and survival as Waad wrestles with an impossible choice– whether or not to flee the city to protect her daughter’s life, when leaving means abandoning the struggle for freedom for which she has already sacrificed so much.
A deeply personal and unflinching documentary filmed by a young mother in Aleppo, Syria, as she navigates the escalating conflict. Waad Al-Kateab dedicates the film to her infant daughter, Sama, documenting the devastating realities of war, the loss of loved ones, and the enduring struggle for survival amidst the destruction of their city. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a plea for peace.
For Sama was overwhelmingly lauded by critics and audiences alike for its raw emotional power, courage, and vital perspective on the Syrian conflict. It was praised as an essential piece of filmmaking that humanizes the devastating impact of war on civilians, particularly children.
A harrowing and profoundly moving testament to a mother's love and courage in wartime.
An essential, eye-opening documentary that provides a vital human perspective on the Syrian crisis.
Visceral, intimate, and deeply affecting, it’s a powerful cinematic experience.
Google audience: Viewers frequently praise the film's authenticity, emotional impact, and Waad Al-Kateab's incredible bravery in documenting such difficult events. Many found it to be a necessary and eye-opening look at the human cost of war, deeply affecting and unforgettable.
Won the BAFTA Award for Best Documentary, received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, and won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at the SXSW Film Festival.
Waad Al-Kateab initially began filming for the documentary as a student journalist to document the Syrian uprising, but the project evolved into a personal letter to her daughter as the conflict intensified and her life became inextricably linked to the events unfolding in Aleppo.
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There’s an anachronistic normality running through this documentary as we follow the young Waad Al-Kateab as she finds happiness, love and bears a child all whilst her surroundings in the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo are quite literally r...
'For Sama' is a tough watch, made even harder knowing that the neighbouring city of Idlib is currently under siege in the same way. It is also a beautifully edited and narrated piece that needs to reach as many people as possible, since we ...