Waad al-Kateab | Filming a revolution, Aleppo under siege and a mistaken identity

Waad is an award-winning Syrian filmmaker. She became a citizen journalist in 2011, after protests broke out across Syria against the Assad regime, and in January 2016 she began documenting the horrors of Aleppo for Channel 4 News in a series titled, “Inside Aleppo.”

Waad’s first feature documentary, For Sama, documented her life over five years in Aleppo. The film, directed with Edward Watts, received worldwide critical acclaim, winning numerous awards, including the Prix L'Œil d'or for best documentary at Cannes Film Festival, Best Documentary at the BAFTAs and a nomination for Best Documentary Feature at the 2020 Academy Awards.

After fleeing Aleppo in December 2016, Waad, her husband, and their two daughters now reside in London, United Kingdom. Waad continues to work with Channel 4 News and dedicates time to her advocacy campaign, Action For Sama.

Show Notes

For more on Waad

Follow Waad on Twitter and Instagram and follow Action for Sama on Twitter.

Episode credits

Hosted and produced by Shaunagh Connaire and edited by Ryan Ferguson.

What is Media Tribe?

Media Tribe is a show that tells the story behind the storyteller. It's an opportunity to step into the shoes of the most respected journalists, directors and media executives.

Each episode looks at the journalist's journey into the industry, the impact they’ve had along the way and some of their most crazy experiences working in the industry. The stories that never quite made it to air!

Shaunagh interviews some of the most respected journalists, Oscar-nominated filmmakers and executives from across the globe, including Channel 4’s Jon Snow, BBC’s Kate Adie, The New York Times' Pulitzer Prize winner Malachy Browne, CNN’s Nima Elbagir and Rana Ayyub of the Washington Post to name a few.