Waad Al-Kateab’s testimony of what does it mean to be forced to flee your home and leave everything behind is masterfully captured in the award-winning film “For Sama”, an intimate and epic journey into the female experience of war. The camera focuses on her life story 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.

Six years after their displacement, the very few belongings that Waad, her family and many other Syrian nationals managed to bring with them on their journey in search of safety, are now the only connection left to their homes. These objects have now been gathered in the special collection “Belongings” to raise awareness of the devastating impact of war and displacement on people’s lives.

On the occasion of Refugee Week 2023, Action for Sama and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the UK invite you to visit the pop-up exhibition “Belongings”:

We wish to share with you the objects we saved and were able to take with us, the memories behind them, and the stories of Syrians who dared to dream and strive for freedom. Many of these items you may recognise from For Sama film.

The exhibition will also feature performance art by Salem al-Atrash, who uses calligraphy and illustration on banners for peaceful demonstrations. A Syrian artist, Salem painted graffiti on the walls of Aleppo, expressing thoughts of the revolution and also through painting on the remnants of war and bombs.

The pop-up exhibition will remain open to the public only on Friday 23rd June, between 10 AM and 3 PM.

This Refugee Week, as a simple act of compassion please join us at the Asia House in central London.

Don’t miss it!

Exclusive screening of For Sama starting at 3 pm | INVITATION ONLY

• A special free-to-attend screening of For Sama will also take place in the afternoon, followed by Q&A with Waad Al-Kateab, Emmy award-winning filmmaker, & Hamza Al-Kateab, Syrian doctor, human rights activist and public health advocate.

• Seats for the screening are limited, if you wish to attend the exclusive screening and Q&A with the director, please contact iomuk@iom.int by Tuesday 20th June.