For Sama: Love and War in Aleppo

“A remarkable act of cinematic witnessing.” —Variety

From young Syrian filmmaker Waad al-Kateab, For Sama is an intimate letter from mother to child chronicling war, love, and sacrifice. In the streets of Aleppo, she and her husband stand their ground with fellow resistors as the city is targeted by the regime and Russian planes. In the face of constant attacks, the couple’s baby is brought into the world. She then wrestles with an impossible choice—whether or not to flee the city to protect her daughter’s life, when leaving means abandoning the struggle they have given up so much for. The family’s story is an epic journey and an unforgettable testimony bearing witness to five years of the uprising in Aleppo. Winner, Best Documentary at 2019 Cannes and SXSW film festivals. 2019, UK, DCP, in Arabic with English subtitles, 100 min.

Content advisory: contains graphic imagery of war.