For Sama

1h 40m · 2019 · Directed by Waad al-Kateab · 4.4 / 5 on Letterboxd

For Sama (2019) runs 1h 40m, directed by Waad al-Kateab. It is one of 3,647 films in the 100 Minute Movies catalog — every one rated 3.0 or higher by Letterboxd members and short enough to finish in an evening.

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.

Genres: Documentary, War

No US streaming listed when we last checked (9 July 2026). Availability changes often.