Born in Lattakiya, Syria, in 1954, Ossama Mohammed graduated from the Russian State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in 1979.

His first short documentary, ‘... Khutwa Khutwa’ ( Step by Step ‪-1978 ‪) is a film that touches on the secret transformation of poor innocent children into soldiers and stand‪-by killers . It was selected after 35 years for the official selection of the Berlin Film Festival in 2013.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

His first feature film, ‘Nujum al-Nahar’ (Stars in Broad Daylight) was produced in 1988. Deemed by many to be the most scathing critique of contemporary Syrian society trapped in the iron grip of the Baath regime, the film has never been allowed a public screening in Syria. The film was selected at the Cannes Film Festival's Quinzaine des Réalisateurs, and earned the filmmaker great critical praise, including the Golden Palm at the Valencia Festival in the same year.

He was unable to make his second feature film until 2002. ‘Sunduq al-Dunya’ (Sacrifices) was selected for the Cannes Film Festival's section Un Certain Regard in 2002. Complex and visually stunning, the film has confirmed its maker as one of the Soviet film school's graduates most individual and masterful filmmakers.

After 2011 when Ossama was forced into exile in Paris, he began a new cinematic adventure with ‘Silvered Water‪, Syria Self- Portrait’ , a Syrian tragedy which was included in the Cannes official selection‪-2014‪ as an innovative proposal for auteur film. This film was co-directed by Wiam Simav Bedirxan, and is composed of a thousand and one images filmed by a thousand and one Syrian anonymous authors.‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬