Review of For Sama

For Sama (2019)
A Bracing First-Hand Account Of Life In War-Torn Syria
14 January 2020
A bracing first-hand account of the humanitarian crisis in war-torn Syria, For Sama is a love letter from a mother to her daughter, an elegy of what it means to have a homeland, and a document of immediate relevance & urgency that brings to light the brutal atrocities committed by the Syrian government against its own citizens.

Capturing the female experience of war through Waad Al-Kateab's camera lens, For Sama chronicles her life in Aleppo over the course of 5 years, from the early uprising against the regime to the violent retaliation that completely destroyed their city. Juxtaposed with the horrors of war is Waad's own intimate journey to motherhood.

Jam-packed with authentic footage of human right violations, there are moments in this documentary that are graphic, harrowing & emotionally devastating but all of these grisly images add considerable weight to their predicament situation and the horrors they were subjected to on a daily basis, with constant shelling serving as a reminder that death lurks nearby.

A resounding portrait of relentless determination in the face of persistent danger, For Sama presents a citizen journalist going above & beyond the call of duty to provide the world a direct access into the cataclysmic conflict that left thousands dead & millions homeless, and highlights the fact that being a refugee is nobody's first choice. A powerful, gripping & haunting piece of indispensable info, For Sama is essential viewing.
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