For Sama

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Jorge S It is a movie that everybody should see. An unusual take at a brutal war from the perspective of a young woman who is also a new mother. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/20 Full Review Max G It's just so true, I'm also one of the survivors of that war, Free Syria. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member This Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature lacerates hearts with images of children, dead and suffering, blanketed in ash and blood as female director Waad Al-Kateab endeavors to capture on video for her infant daughter the bravery of Aleppo civilians against the Assad regime's cannonade during the Syrian civil war in 2016. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review William L An incredible documentary. Growing up in the United States, real war has been a borderline alien experience for decades. People see it in film, romantacize it, view it through the lens of a political administration, but there hasn't been a real threat of domestic combat for generations; as a concept, it largely belongs to long-passed generations. Likewise, foreign wars are presented largely as statistics or in broad, remote geopolitical terms, as if those involved were somehow not human, that there suffering somehow is not significant. For Sama forces viewers to confront the reality that terrible conflict is an everyday reality for some, and it does so by demonstrating a universal, heartbreaking humanity within the victims of the conflict. When that child is born in a war-ravaged Aleppo hospital with blue skin and no hint of life, only to be woken by the dedicated efforts of the doctors after harrowing minutes, it is a devastating moment, particularly within the context that it creates. The film is so profound, if I was unaware of the circumstances behind its production I would have immediately assumed that it was a docudrama. I can't recall an objectively better found-footage style documentary; others, like Grey Gardens and Hoop Dreams are shot with an intimate style and follow an evolving storyline, but they are still at their core professional productions made by commercial film crews that set out to document a very particular event that they had previously scouted, vetted, and decided upon. For Sama doesn't feel like that, it has senses of pure violence, danger, and loss that can only originate from a devastating event. A true must-watch. (5/5) Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/21 Full Review Audience Member An impressive documentary about an impressive young couple. Amazing how numbed everyone becomes by the constant death and destruction. The absolute state of Aleppo by the time they're leaving is incredible. If ever there was an anti-war film this inadvertently is it. Being on the ground through the siege showcases the truth of war. There's no glamour, it's just pure misery and suffering. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the most important movies made in decades. It is horrible how the debate around refugees tend to de-humanize people who have fled from their homes. In essence, this movie genuinely and affectionately shows their struggle. Everyone should see this. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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