Winner—Special Jury Prize – International Feature Documentary
Over the course of several years, Waad al-Kateab has been filming the uprising in her home city of Aleppo, Syria. Capturing the brutal conflict all around her comes with added personal stakes as she falls in love and becomes pregnant with her first child. The idea of bringing a baby into such extreme conditions transforms the narrative of how she documents her surroundings. She maintains love for her nation and the people around her, hoping this passion can counterbalance the widespread violence her daughter will be born into. While the battles rage on daily, baby Sama comes into the world to a devoted mother who is faced with the ever-more-urgent decision of whether to let go of the city she dreamed would someday be free of tyranny and war. Through the chaotic devastation that surrounds them, For Sama depicts a story of how love can bloom in even the direst of circumstances. Gabor Pertic
Content notice: Film contains some graphic imagery.
Co-presented with Syria Film Festival