FOR SAMA er en rørende og intim dokumentar lavet af den 26-årige mor Waad al-Kateab, der har filmet de sidste dage af kampen om Aleppo i Syrien. Filmen er dedikeret til hendes 1-årige datter Sama og er et vidnesbyrd om deres fælles liv; såfremt Waad og hendes mand Hamza, der er læge på det sidste hospital i Aleppo, ikke skulle overleve krigen.
" Nogle gange kan det være svært at forstå al den død og ødelæggelse, der foregår rundt omkring i verden og man får lyst til at kigge væk og tænke på noget andet. Men andre gange skal man kigge og lytte godt efter de historier, der bliver fortalt. ’For Sama’ er filmet og instrueret af Waad Al-Kateab, og er en dokumentarfilm om ødelæggelserne og krigen i Aleppo. Waad er blevet tilbage i Aleppo med sin mand, der er læge og hun filmer hvad der sker omkring hende, men hun bliver uventet gravid og vælger derfor at bruge filmen som en slags dagbog og forklaring til sin lille nye datter Sama. ’For Sama’ er en stærk fortælling om dem der bliver tilbage og filmen har allerede vundet adskillige filmpriser. "
FOR SAMA is both 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. The film is the first feature documentary by Emmy award-winning filmmakers, Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts.
" Sometimes it’s hard to understand all the death and destruction taking place around the world, and you just want to look away and think of something ells. But at other times you need to look and listen to the stories being told. ‘For Sama’ is filmed and directed by Waad Al-Kateab and is a documentary about the destruction and war in Aleppo. Waad has stayed in Aleppo with her husband who is a doctor and is filming what goes on around her. However, she gets pregnant and chooses to use the film as a sort of diary and explanation to her daughter Sama. The movie is a strong story about those who choose to stay and it has already won several awards. "