Syrian documentary ‘For Sama’ has been nominated for 4 BAFTAs

2019 might have been a great year for Hollywood movies, but it’s been an exceptional one for Arab cinema.

‘For Sama’ has made history by been nominated for four different categories that include: ‘Outstanding British film’, ‘Outstanding debut by a British writer’, director or producer, ‘Best film not in the English language’ and ‘Best Documentary’. Directed by Al-Kateab and Edward Watts, this Syrian documentary has much to be proud of. It has already won an exhaustive list of awards such as the ‘Best Feature’ at the International Documentary Association Awards, the Prix L’Œil d’Or for ;’Best Documentary; at the Cannes Film Festival and the British Independent Film Award for ‘Best British Documentary’. If all this weren’t enough, the documentary was recently shortlisted for the ‘Best Documentary Feature’ at the upcoming Oscars.

The documentary showcases Waad Al-Kateab’s journey of living in a war-torn Aleppo right from the beginning of the uprising. “It is such an honor to be nominated for a prestigious BAFTA award. But to be nominated in four different categories is simply overwhelming,” Al-Kateab and Watts said. “We hope For Sama gives audiences some sense of the brutal repression and humanitarian crisis in Syria which continues to this day.”