Project Detail

For Sama

Synopsis

A feature documentary telling the astonishing story of 26-year old female Syrian filmmaker, Waad al-Kateab, who filmed her life in rebel-held Aleppo through five years of the Syrian uprising.
She fell in love, got married and had a daughter all while filming the violence raging around her and in particular documenting the challenges the conflict imposed on women and children. Along with a close group of friends, she stayed in the city to fight for her dream of a free Syria, a struggle that ended in their defeat and exile.
The film weaves together her intimate, emotive footage with her struggle to come to terms with the trauma she has witnessed. It’s an outstanding story, by turns beautiful, shocking, surprising and uplifting.
Waad is a symbol for our times, the epitome of a bold, brave woman prepared to risk her life for what she believes, in a year when women are finally becoming the heroes of their own stories. Hers is an epic tale of the survival of love and courage amid the cruelty of war.
Official Selection SXSW 2019 - Documentary Feature Competition - World premiere
Official Selection Hot Docs 2019 - International Spectrum
Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2019 - Special Screening
Academy Awards 2020 - Nomination - Best Documentary Feature

Details

Year
2019
Type of project
Features
Running time
95 min
Format
Digital Video
Director
Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts 1st Feature
Producer
Waad al-Kateab
Executive Producer
Nevine Mabro, George Waldrum, Siobhan Sinnerton, Ben de Pear, Raney Aronson-Rath
Editor
Chloe Lambourne, Simon McMahon
Director of Photography
Waad al-Kateab
Composer
Nainita Desai
Senior Producer
Dan Edge

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Sales Company

Autlook Filmsales

Spittelberggasse 3/14
1070 Vienna
Austria

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Monolith Monolith

Director: Stevan Riley

Year: 2026

How Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY revolutionized science fiction cinema through groundbreaking visual effects, innovative storytelling, and profound themes about human evolution and technology.

Yuja Yuja

Director: Lorna Tucker

Year: 2027

Classical pianist Yuja Wang balances fame and the pursuit of perfection while seeking happiness.

Cantona Cantona

Director: David Tryhorn, Ben Nicholas

Year: 2026

The most gifted footballer of his generation was finished. Retired in disgrace at 25, he appeared destined for permanent exile from the sport he loved. Incapable of blind obedience, Eric Cantona was a libertine who bridled against conformity whenever he felt its grip tighten. The French branded him unmanageable. But the fire that burned in Eric became the spark to ignite a dynasty at Manchester United. At turns thoughtful and explosive, CANTONA reveals how legendary manager Alex Ferguson channelled the brilliance of this most captivating and unpredictable of athletes. A tale of friendship and fatherhood, Cantona and Ferguson's testimonies reveal how a man misread as hostile and unknowable was finally understood, loved, and forgiven, by the strictest disciplinarian in football. Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2026 - Special Screenings - World premiere