For Sama

95 min • Award Winners, Syria • 2019

Watch Oscar nominee Documentary For Sama. Waad al-Kateab was a 23 year-old economics student, inspired by the peaceful protests against the Assad regime in Syria when she started filming her daily life in 2011. Over the course of 5 years, she captured moments of joy and normalcy as well as scenes of unimaginable horror.

For Sama is described as a visual love letter to her daughter, Sama – born amidst raids and bombs in Aleppo in January 2016 – as Waad persevered to document what they were fighting for and why they stayed. Filmed through Waad’s journalistic and courageous lens, it’s a uniquely female perspective on the devastation of war, giving us a distinctly human view of Syrian war headlines that have become commonplace.

For Sama had wins for Best Documentary at Cannes and SXSW film festivals and was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2020 Oscars. It also became the most-nominated documentary in BAFTA history – and won Best Documentary Film. We’re proud to be able to bring For Sama to you exclusively in Singapore.

This film is a window onto years of conflict and destruction that are still on-going in Syria. Waad has said, “Documentaries and films alone cannot change the world, but the people who watch them can.” She has set up a campaign called Action For Sama to provide aid and relief to Syrians affected by targeted attacks on hospitals and civilians and has raised nearly S$100,000 so far.

You can help make a difference by donating on her site or to World Vision, Rescue and Save the Children, along with many other organisations helping in the region.