

For Sama
An intimate and epic journey into the female experience of war.
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.
TMDB
8.2/10
321 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- —
- Box office
- —
- Language
- Arabic
- found footage
- woman director
- syria
Top billed cast
Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United Kingdom. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Gallery










Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- PremiereSouth by Southwest Film Festival11 Mar 2019
- Theatrical26 Jul 2019
- TVPBS Television premiere, "Frontline" series19 Nov 2019
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical1813 Sept 2019
CzechiaCZ
- PremiereOne World International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival6 Mar 2020
- Theatrical12 Mar 2020
- TheatricalRerelease after COVID-1921 May 2020
FranceFR
- PremiereCannes Film Festival15 May 2019
- Theatrical9 Oct 2019
GermanyDE
- Theatrical165 Mar 2020
GreeceGR
- PremiereThessaloniki Documentary Festival19 May 2020
- TheatricalΚ-1521 May 2021
Hong KongHK
- Theatrical6 Aug 2020
IrelandIE
- Digital / OTT1811 Jul 2019
ItalyIT
- Theatrical13 Feb 2020
NetherlandsNL
- Theatrical1623 Jan 2020
South KoreaKR
- Theatrical1523 Jan 2020
SpainES
- Theatrical13 Nov 2020
Frequently asked questions
For Sama was released on 26 July 2019.
Audience reviews
2- S10/10
SWITCH.
1/26/2020
'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 have no perception of what the Syrian war was like via traditional news media. This is an important, must-watch film. - Jake Watt Read Jake's full article... https://www.maket…
- C7/10
CinemaSerf
4/20/2025
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 raining hell down upon her. Using her own photography, we are taken into the thick of things and exposed to the conflict this woman faces as she must juggle her own determination to…
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