.jpg)
Trailer
Logline
During her parents' visit to Amsterdam, a new Palestinian mother seeks to bond with her newborn.
Synopsis
During her parents' visit, a new Palestinian mother living
in Amsterdam struggles to connect with her newborn.
As family dynamics unfold, postpartum challenges and
family expectations grow.
Through unspoken tensions, small gestures, and
moments of care, the film explores the quiet suffocation
that can exist within love.
.jpg)
Director’s Statement
"Tomorrow, when you become a mother, you will understand what I mean."
That sentence used to irritate me. It felt like my mother
believed I knew nothing about life simply because I
wasn't a mother yet. As if my experiences, my
understanding, and even my choices would only become
valid once I had a child.
Then, in May 2024, I became a mother.
To my surprise, I began to understand what she had
meant, not because motherhood made me wiser, but
because it introduced me to emotions I had never
known before.
Suddenly, I was that new mother, unprepared for the
depth of love I would feel.
I wasn't ready for how overwhelming it would be to look
into my son's eyes. I cried so much, not only because of
the love I had for him, but also because my husband ate
the last cookie I had been craving. I wept when my best
friend in Palestine sent me flowers. Tears became my
constant companion as I navigated love, exhaustion, and
emotional overload. In those moments, I began to see
that my mother's words came from love and protection,
but also from her own fears, experiences, and
disappointments.
.jpg)
Producer’s Statement
I have the privilege of producing A Tenderness, a deeply personal short film written and directed by the extraordinary Sabrine Khoury.
Since its founding in 2017, Buddy Film Foundation has been a launchpad for talented filmmakers and creatives with refugee or migration backgrounds. In 2023, we evolved into Buddy Film Productions BV, driven by a clear mission: to bring forward fresh, international stories that resonate with the urgent conversations of our time. At the heart of our work is a commitment to elevate unheard voices — currently, over 60% of our crew come from refugee backgrounds. We believe diversity is not just an ideal but a necessity, both in front of and behind the camera.
A Tenderness is an intimate yet universal story that explores motherhood, migration, and identity with tenderness and honesty. It is a film that invites audiences into a nuanced space rarely seen on screen.
This film offers a compelling female perspective on motherhood in a world of new beginnings. As a mother of two young children myself, I intimately understand the delicate balance of vulnerability and resilience this stage demands. It is a story that deserves to be heard — one that has long been waiting for its moment.
We truly hope you will join us in championing Sabrine Khoury and A Tenderness, helping us bring this vital story to life.
Warm Regards,
Dewi Reijs
Characters
REEMA (34)
A new mother navigating postpartum life, torn between exhaustion, love, and family expectations. Sensitive, meticulous, and quietly strong.
AMIR (37)
Reema’s supportive husband, patient and tender, trying to mediate between Reema and her parents while managing his own care for their son.
SALMA (60)
Reema’s mother, nurturing but firm, representing tradition and care, often stepping in with advice or assistance.
IMAD (65)
Reema’s father, affectionate but sometimes insensitive, clashing with Reema over habits and boundaries, yet deeply loving.
ZAIN (0)
Reema and Amir’s newborn son, whose needs and vulnerability shape the emotional rhythm of the household.
.jpg)
Cast
Rand Abou-
Fakher
for Rema
KARIM ANAYA
for Amir
AREEN OMARI
for Salma
SALIM DAW
for Imad
Meet The Team
SABRINE KHOURY
Screenwriter & Director
A Palestinian filmmaker and producer based in the Netherlands. Her work is rooted in intimate spaces, the female body, the home, and family relationships, through which she explores identity, political and social realities, and challenges stereotypes. For her, filmmaking is a way of making sense of the world and understanding what she truly believes in.
Her previous short documentary, The Miracle of Life (2025), screened internationally, including at CPH:DOX and Galway Film Fleadh, where it won Best Documentary. The film also received Best Documentary and the Audience Award at IFF Integrazione. Her latest fiction short, A Tenderness, developed through the Doha Film Institute Short Script Lab and supported by the Netherlands Film Fund, premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival. She is currently developing her debut feature film.
DEWI REIJS
Producer
(1982) a Dutch producer, actress, and theatre maker, and co-founder of the Buddy Film Foundation (2017) alongside Dennis Overeem and In-Soo Radstake. The foundation supports refugee filmmakers, actors, and crew members, serving as a launchpad for emerging talent.
In 2018, Reijs established Buddy Film Casting and the production platform Buddy Film Productions, which became a company in 2023, focusing on stories of migration and displacement across film, theatre, and documentary.
Born in Rotterdam, Reijs graduated from the Theatre and Cabaret Academy in Amsterdam and has worked in the Dutch film and television industry for over twenty years, performing with Internationaal Theater Amsterdam. She participated in the Kind en Kleur script development program of the Dutch Media Fund, mentored by Franky Ribbens.
DENNIS OVEREEM
Casting Director
A Dutch writer, director, actor, and casting director, and co-founder of the Buddy Film Foundation. He has played leading roles in several series, including Sophie’s Web, Bitches, Samen, and Suzanne en de Mannen, as well as in films such as Unwanted—Kosovo’s submission for the 2018 Oscars—and Aline, for which he won Best Actor at the 48 Hour Film Festival.
From 1999, Dennis worked for over ten years at Kemna Casting, initially as an assistant and later as a casting director. He cast over two hundred commercials, managed casting for the Dutch soap opera GTST, and for Eddy Terstall’s film Het Land van Johan. He also cast actors for international productions, including Mitra, Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo, Amphibious 3D, and several short films, such as Inundation and The Occupant.
Credits
Written and Directed by
Sabrine Khoury
Produced by
Dewi Reijs - Buddy Film Productions
Director of Photography: Aziz Al-Dilaimi NSC
Line Producer: Anna Spierings
Editor: Katharina Wartena
Sound Design: Jaim Sahuleka
CAMERA & LIGHTING
1st AC / Focus Puller: Ilse Roos van Veen
2nd AC / Data Handler: Ischa Kersten
Gaffer: Uwe Kuipers
Electrician: Lieneke Veen
Grip: Peter van Vugt
PRODUCTION
Production Coach: Bero Beyer
Co-producer: Sabrine Khoury
1st Assistant Director: Gregory Schurink
Intimacy Coordinator: Milou van Sommeren
Casting Director: Dennis Overeem - Buddy Film Casting
Additional Casting: Sabrine Khoury
Casting Baby & Stand-in: Blue Circle Casting, Sander van Gils, Marco van Os, Jessica Meijer
Location Scouts: Janet van Huisstede, Steef Vooren
PRODUCTION SUPPORT
Financial Controller: Esther Thedinga
Behind the Scenes Photography: Maria Bodrug, Noura Rabbani
Production Assistants:
Loïs van der Toorn, Abdulrazzag Mawda, Floris Beltman
EQUIPMENT
Camera Rental: Camalot
Lighting Equipment: Het Licht
Production Vehicles: Diks, Buddy Film Foundation
Walkie-talkies: Locatiewerk
Catering: Sitty, Ta-Lois
Accommodation: Fine Hotels & Suites, Stadsvilla Mout Schiedam, Daphne Seijbel, Vero Nater
Development: A Tenderness was developed in the Doha Film Institute Short Script Lab
With Gratitude
Stadsvilla Mout, Hof van Charlois, Robin Achterkamp, Grip4Rigging, Rachida Iaallala, Ralph Verdult, In-Soo Radstake, Julie Ng, Shirin Husseini, Miranda Brands, Olivier Rekers, Guido Jeurissen, Wendeline van der Feltz.
CAST
Reema: Rand Abou Fakher
Amir: Karim Daoud Anaya
Imad: Salim Daw
Salma: Areen Omari
Zain: Axel Maessen
SOUND
Sound Recordist: Diego van Uden
Boom Operator: Justin Bekker
ART DEPARTMENT
Production Designer: Farhad Vilkij
Art Director: Kimiya Adelifar
Art Assistants: Thijs de Kruif, Robbert de Die
Costume Design: Kristien Lammers, Thijs van der Heijden
Hair and Make-up Design: Samin Sallek
Hair and Make-up Assistant: Milo Jan
POST-PRODUCTION
Post Producers: Sabrine Khoury, Dewi Reijs
Color Grading: Remi Lindenhovius
Re-recording Mixer: Jaim Sahuleka
Post-Production Sound Facilities: Aga-Aga Studios
In-house Producer: Mathilde Médard
Assistant Editor: Bram Kuiper
Graphic Design: Katja Kanaan
English Subtitles: Rashed Rashed, Sabrine Khoury
SPECIAL APPEARANCES
Aunt (Voice): Suhair Badarneh
Stand-in for Breastfeeding Scenes: Rosalie Schurgers
Special Thanks
For your generosity, honesty, and support throughout the process:
Britta Krause, Ania Wójtowicz, Antoine Waked, Alain Dessauvage, Ayman Matar, Ward Kayyal, Sami Moreb, Fadette Drouard, Moatasem Taha, Mostafa Sheshtawy, Yazan Kadmani, Afnan Tag, Ahmed Samir, Wisam Al Jafari, Yosra Alaa, Mohamed Al Khazendar, Dr. Ghadir Zreik, Latifa Ait Youss.
Produced with the support of:
Netherlands Film Fund
Municipality of Rotterdam
Stichting Melanie
Buddy Film Foundation
In-Soo Productions
Karakter Sound