Details

When

March 4, 2025
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Where

Middle East Institute
1763 N St NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20036 (Map)

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.

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

Charles Lister (Moderator)
Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute