For Sama

United Kingdom, 2019 / 100 Mins

Director: Waad al-Kateab, Edward Watts

Starring: Hamza Al-Khateab, Sama Al-Khateab, Waad Al-Khateab

Subtitles.

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.

No6 Cinema is currently closed.

No6 Cinema Is TEMPORARILY closed while essential work is carried out on Boathouse 6.

But don’t worry, our BIG, beautiful screen will be here when we return.

We aim to re-open, bigger and better, in September 2026.

Meanwhile, watch this website and our newsletter for news of our plans to host films at Portsmouth University from September 2025

 

To sign up for our newsletter, please email us at [email protected]