"For Sama": Film screening and panel discussion

The Middle East Institute, in collaboration with Action For Sama, The Syria Campaign and The White Helmets, hosted a special screening of the critically acclaimed documentary "For Sama" (2019) to celebrate its 5th anniversary. The screening was followed by a panel discussion featuring filmmakers and activists Waad al-Kateab, Hamza al-Kateab, and Hazem Rihawi, moderated by MEI's Charles Lister.

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 fell in love, got married, and gave birth to Sama—all while cataclysmic conflict rose around her.

The event took place at the Middle East Institute's Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Speakers:

Waad al-Kateab – Filmmaker; Activist; Co-founder of Action For Sama
Hamza al-Kateab – Doctor; Activist; Co-founder of Action for Sama
Hazem Rihawi – Senior Advocacy and Communications Officer, The White Helmets
Raya Homsi -- Development and Impact Manager at The Syria Campaign
Charles Lister (Moderator) – Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute