TENDER THREADS
خيوط رقيقة
a short narrative film by
SABRINE KHOURY
" In every threshold, there is a cost of leaving something behind."
- Iman Mersal
Logline
When a new mother grapples with postpartum challenges during her parents' visit, she seeks to connect with her newborn while navigating familial expectations and her identity.
Synopsis
When a new Palestinian mother in the Netherlands faces postpartum challenges during her parents' visit, she tries to connect with her newborn. As family dynamics unfold, she deals with her traditional parents' expectations while finding her identity as a mother. Through touching moments and struggles, she navigates the complexities of love and family.
The film delves into the emotional depth of motherhood, exploring the tension between tradition and modernity, as well as the unique experience of being an immigrant mother in a foreign country. Tender Threads captures the universal journey of motherhood while highlighting the specific challenges of identity, culture, and family dynamics within a multicultural society.
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—that I could never truly understand what she meant or wanted from me. It made me feel as if my experiences, my understanding, were somehow incomplete.
But I have to admit, when I gave birth last May, I began to understand more of what she meant. Perhaps she didn’t mean that I knew nothing, but that some emotions and realities only become clear when you’re responsible for another life. Still, it is entirely valid if someone never takes this journey; no one should feel less for it.
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 just from the love I had for him, but also when my husband ate the last cookie I wanted. I wept when my best friend from 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 struggles and disappointments.
Now that we’re both mothers, I don’t hear that sentence anymore—lucky me. But motherhood didn’t erase the generational gap between me and my parents. Living far from home, in the Netherlands, amplified that distance. Their traditional expectations often clashed with my need for space, individuality, and honoring my heritage in my own way.
Tender Threads was born from these experiences, triggered by my parents’ visit after I gave birth. This film explores the complexity of family love—how it can feel nurturing and suffocating at once; a new mother trying to maintain a sense of self amidst the pressures of family, culture, and life in the Netherlands.
Love & Peace, Sabrine Khoury
Producer’s Statement
I have the privilege of producing Tender Threads, 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.
Tender Threads 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.
We are proud to announce that the Netherlands Filmfond has recognized the potential of this project with a generous contribution of €65,000. Sabrine’s involvement in the prestigious Doha Film Institute Short Script Lab for MENA-region filmmakers in late 2024 further strengthens the film’s international relevance.
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 Tender Threads, 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.
Cast
SOFIA ASIR
for Rema
KARIM ANAYA
for Amir
AREEN OMARI
for Salma
SALIM DAW
for Imad
Film Tone
● Intimate ● Reflective ● Tense ● Tender ● Nostalgic ● Subtle ● Poignant ● Raw
Meet The Team
SABRINE KHOURY
Screenwriter & Director
A Palestinian filmmaker based in the Netherlands, weaving feminist and cultural stories through her work. Her work spans short films, music videos, commercials, and musical theater, always pushing the boundaries of storytelling.
Her latest short, THE MIRACLE OF LIFE (2025), is touring international festivals including Galway Film Fleadh (Best Documentary), Beirut International Women Film Festival, IFF Integrazione (Best Documentary and Audience Award), Girona Film Festival, and Lublin Film Festival, and more.
Her earlier films include SANTÉ, which screened at international festivals such as Cinemed Montpellier, IFVA Hong Kong (Special Mention), and others.
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.
Why
Support This Film?
A short emotional appeal
Tender Threads gives voice to the intimate portrait of early motherhood, told from a woman’s perspective — personal yet universal. At its core, it challenges stereotypes about Palestinians, particularly Palestinian women, by portraying authentic, complex experiences rarely seen on screen.
We’ve secured €90,000 from the Filmfonds and some others funds and donations, are now raising the remaining €10,000 to complete the film.
We’re reaching out to a small circle of people who believe in authentic, raw stories. If you’d consider joining us on this journey, with a contribution, it would mean a great deal to us & would help bring this story to the screen!
What we offer our supporters?
In addition to the huge thank you and big hug you’ll get:
€25-€250
In return:
-
Thank-you mention
-
Project updates
€500
Credit:
With Association
In return:
-
“With the support of” credit in end credits
€1.500
Credit:
Associate Producer
In return:
-
Associate Producer credit in end credits
-
Invitation to a private preview screening
€3.000
Credit:
Co-Producer
In return:
-
Co-Producer credit in opening & closing credits
-
Set visit
-
Invitation to a private preview screening
-
Festival Invitations
(if applicable)
€10.000
Credit:
Executive Producer
In return:
-
Prominent Executive Producer credit (including poster)
-
Invitation to set & post-production
-
Invitation to a private preview screening
-
Festival Invitations
(if applicable)