For Sama

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 99% based on 91 reviews, with an average rating of 9.04/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "As intimate as it is heartbreakingly resonant, For Sama powerfully distills the difficult choices faced by citizens of war-torn regions".[8] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 89 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[9]

Ian Freer of Empire, wrote "It will break your heart", and he further added, "For Sama powerfully mixes the personal and the political to thought-provoking, emotional ends. The result is one of the best documentaries of 2019".[10] David Jenkins of the Little White Lies wrote, "This tough but vital documentary depicts the savage bombardment of Aleppo from a female perspective".[11] Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "[For Sama] The result is a series of deeply powerful images showing the human casualties of a war that most of us witnessed from our TV sets or computer screens, but that al-Kateab and her husband lived on a daily basis for many years".[12] Guy Lodge of the Variety wrote, "This ragged, remarkable act of cinematic witnessing sees a young woman finding her voice — as an activist, as an artist and as a parent — above the crashing, whistling din of warfare. Amid a surfeit of devastating reports from the ruins, it’s one we haven’t yet heard".[13]

For Sama made history by becoming the BAFTA's most-nominated feature documentary. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts announced the film has been nominated in four categories, Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer; Outstanding British film; Best film not in the English language and Best documentary.[14][15] For Sama won multiple awards at the British Independent Film Awards in December 2019 including: best British independent film, best documentary, best director and best editing.[16][17]

For Sama was granted "L'oeil d'or", the best documentary movie award in Cannes Film Festival in 2019.[18][19] The documentary was nominated for an Oscar at the 92nd Academy Awards in the Documentary Feature category.[20][21][22]