FOR SAMA – Documentary
For Sama is an award-winning documentary by 26-year old Waad al-Kateab, who filmed her life in Aleppo through 5 years of the Syrian civil uprising.
It’s a story of love, political resistance, and a ruthless war. The film was written as a love letter from al-Kateab, to her daughter, Sama, born during the war, which shares the agony between choosing to flee to protect her daughter’s life, when leaving means abandoning the struggle for freedom for which al-Kateab and her husband had already sacrificed so much.
Like many international tragedies, the widespread destruction and cruelty of the Syrian Civil Was has not been fully grasped by the American public.
This absence of understanding has underscored a reluctance by many U.S. citizens to accept Syrian refugees into our society, even though Temporary Protected Status for Syrians was granted.
In March of 2011, as part of a growing political awakening in the Middle East, Syrians began calling upon President Bshar al-Assad to institute democratic reforms.
The peaceful protests were met with violent government retaliation, launching the country into a civil war that is now in its ninth year. Since then, more that 500,000 Syrians have died. Over half the country’s population has been displaced.
According to the United Nations, an estimated 11 million Syrians have fled their homes, seeking refuge in neighboring countries or within Syria’s borders.
Accommodating Syrian refugees remains a major concern for various countries across the globe. The response, like that of the United States, has been lukewarm in most countries.
For Sama has the potential to open the eyes, hearts, and minds of those who have not grasped the cruelty of the Syrian Civil War on its citizens.
You can watch the film here: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/for-sama/
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