Premise
The film shows Waad al-Kateab's life through five years inCast
* Hamza al-Kateab * Sama al-Kateab * Waad al-KateabReception
Critical response
On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The website's critical consensus reads, "As intimate as it is heartbreakingly resonant, ''For Sama'' powerfully distills the difficult choices faced by citizens of war-torn regions." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 89 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Ian Freer of ''Empire'', wrote "It will break your heart", and he further added, "''For Sama'' powerfully mixes the personal and the political to thought-provoking, emotional ends. The result is one of the best documentaries of 2019". David Jenkins of the ''Little White Lies'' wrote, "This tough but vital documentary depicts the savage bombardment of Aleppo from a female perspective". Jordan Mintzer of '' The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote, " 'For Sama''The result is a series of deeply powerful images showing the human casualties of a war that most of us witnessed from our TV sets or computer screens, but that al-Kateab and her husband lived on a daily basis for many years". Guy Lodge of the ''Variety'' wrote, "This ragged, remarkable act of cinematic witnessing sees a young woman finding her voice — as an activist, as an artist and as a parent — above the crashing, whistling din of warfare. Amid a surfeit of devastating reports from the ruins, it’s one we haven’t yet heard".Awards and nominations
''For Sama'' made history by becoming the BAFTA's most-nominated feature documentary. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced the film has been nominated in four categories, Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer; Outstanding British film; Best film not in the English language and Best documentary. ''For Sama'' won multiple awards at the British Independent Film Awards in December 2019 including: best British independent film, best documentary, best director and best editing. ''For Sama'' was granted " L'oeil d'or", the best documentary movie award in Cannes Film Festival in 2019. The documentary was nominated for an Oscar at the 92nd Academy Awards in the Documentary Feature category.Social impact
As ''For Sama'' got a lot of international attention, Waad Al Kateeb launched an advocacy campaign in the name of ''Action for Sama'' to advocate for the civilians of Syria. Her campaign attracted the attention of some of the most internationally known actors and actresses. People's emotional reaction to the film is what she hopes will prompt them to action, but for the decision makers and those who have power, she expects more than just emotions after seeing her film. "Many people came to me crying and said they are so sorry that they let that happen. ��It shows you how many people care. But on the level of decision makers ��We have tried so hard to push for action, do something, to make sure these things don't continue to happen. ��If you are in a position where you can change something, I don't want your tears, I want you to do something, you can make a difference," says Waad Al Kateab quietly but firmly.See also
*References
Further reading
*External links