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.
Direction
Waad filmed while literally running from airstrikes. Show-off.
Editing
Five years of footage shaped into coherent narrative arc.
Sound
The silence after explosions will haunt your dreams.
Director
Edward Watts
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Waad al-Kateab is a pseudonym—her real identity remains protected because her family still has connections in Syria.
The film became evidence in UN war crimes investigations; footage of the hospital bombing was cross-referenced with Russian military logs.
US
GB
