Syrian Volunteers Netherlands (SYVNL), in collaboration with Pakhuis de Zwijger, invites you to an evening of storytelling, reflection and solidarity. This gathering is more than just a film screening— it’s a chance to connect with Syrian voices, explore the ongoing struggle for justice and imagine a future shaped by resilience and hope. We will start with a screening of For Sama, the heart-wrenching, award-winning documentary by Waad al-Kateab. Far beyond a story of war, For Sama is an intimate and deeply personal love letter—a mother’s testimony to her daughter, capturing the raw human experience of conflict, love and survival in Aleppo. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with the filmmakers and activists and gain deeper insights into the ongoing situation in Syria.
About the speakers
Waad al-Kateab was 18 when she moved to Aleppo in 2009 to study marketing. Two years later, as protests against the Assad regime erupted, she picked up a camera and became a citizen journalist, determined to document the war unfolding around her. Her raw, fearless reporting for Channel 4 News in the UK became the most-watched coverage of the Syrian conflict, amassing nearly half a billion views and winning 24 awards—including an International Emmy.
Over five years, Waad filmed her own life in Aleppo: falling in love with Hamza, a doctor, and giving birth to their daughter, Sama (“Sky”), in 2015. That footage became For Sama, the 2019 documentary she co-directed with Edward Watts. The film won the Prix L’Œil d’or at Cannes—earning a six-minute standing ovation—became the most-nominated documentary in BAFTA history, and landed an Oscar nomination. In 2023, she premiered her second film, We Dare to Dream, at Tribeca. Produced by Angelina Jolie and John Legend, the documentary follows refugee athletes fighting for a place on the world’s biggest stage: the Olympics. Its original song, Don’t Need to Sleep, performed by John Legend, captures the film’s spirit of resilience.
Since fleeing Aleppo in 2016, Waad has been based in London with her family. She continues to fight for justice through Action For Sama, a campaign using her film to expose war crimes in Syria and push for accountability—because some stories demand more than just being told.
Her latest documentary, Death Without Mercy, premiered at Sheffield DocFest in June 2024. Set in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria in 2023, it captures the stories of two Syrian families and their desperate search for their loved ones. Waad now lives in London with her family, where she leads the Action For Sama advocacy campaign.
Nathalie Olijslager-Jaarsma is the director of the Netherland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Directorate for Stabilisation and Humanitarian Assistance. Prior, she was the Program Director for the 2023 UN Water Conference and Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands to the United Nations and other international organizations at Geneva. She has worked for 25 years for the government of the Netherlands, in different positions and as a diplomat in South Africa, Hungary and the USA. She is particularly experienced in connecting different fields of experience and knowledge and bringing people from these different fields together, for example development cooperation and trade, NGO’s and the private sector.
After the film, we will engage in a conversation with Waad al-Kateab and Syrian Amsterdammers. Together, we will explore what the ongoing fight for justice means for Syria’s future, how we as Amsterdammers can stand in meaningful solidarity with our Syrian neighbours, and the role storytelling plays in rebuilding lives and communities.
This event is part of an ongoing series by Syrian Volunteers Netherlands (SYVNL) dedicated to Syria’s future, amplifying Syrian voices and fostering connections that go beyond borders.
