A mother's intimate chronicle of life and survival during the Battle of Aleppo
In short: For Sama is a harrowing documentary capturing five years of the Syrian uprising through the eyes of Waad Al-Kateab. As she balances the joys of motherhood with the brutal realities of war, her film serves as both a personal memoir and a powerful call for international political action.
Produced and narrated by Waad Al-Kateab and directed alongside Edward Watts, For Sama documents Al-Kateab’s life as a journalist and rebel in Aleppo. The narrative begins in 2011, when Al-Kateab was an economics student at the University of Aleppo. Over the following five years, the film captures her transformation into an activist, artist, and parent, culminating in the birth of her daughter, Sama.
The film provides a visceral, female-centered perspective on the Syrian Civil War. Al-Kateab’s husband, Hamza, serves as a doctor in one of the city's few remaining hospitals, forcing the couple to navigate the agonizing choice between fleeing for safety or staying to treat innocent victims. This daily struggle against the backdrop of the Battle of Aleppo creates a raw, cinematic record of human casualties that contrasts sharply with the detached way global audiences often consume news of conflict.
Critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with the film holding a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and earning universal acclaim on Metacritic. Beyond its artistic success—which includes winning the L'oeil d'or at Cannes and becoming the most-nominated documentary in BAFTA history—the film has a clear political objective. Al-Kateab launched the 'Action for Sama' campaign to leverage the emotional impact of her work into tangible policy shifts.
Al-Kateab remains firm that while audience empathy is meaningful, it is insufficient for those in power. She has explicitly challenged decision-makers to move beyond expressions of sorrow and take concrete steps to prevent further atrocities. By documenting the reality of life under bombardment, she aims to transform passive observation into active, international intervention for the civilians of Syria.
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