Zain Duraie

Sink

Suffocated by motherhood and her mundane life, NADIA’s life slowly changes when she finds herself sinking into her teenage son's undiagnosed mental illness.

SYNOPSIS

NADIA is a 40-year-old wife and mother of three children. Despite her seemingly perfect life, she struggles with her marriage and identity, which also causes her to be distant from her role as a mother. Nadia has a close friendship with her eldest son, BASIL, who is 17 years old and a high school senior known for his academic success. He has always been peculiar and antisocial. One day, Basil is triggered at school and gets into serious trouble, resulting in his suspension. Nadia is on the verge of burnout as she tries to care for him in her own way, ensuring he focuses on his health and exams. However, as she struggles to manage her own crisis and his dark, playful state of mind, she slowly finds herself sinking into his undiagnosed mental illness, while her denial of the truth about him grows. As Basil’s mental health deteriorates, his manic and elated moods push his mother to experience beautiful feelings of liberation. Soon, the situation spirals out of control.


DIRECTOR/WRITER
Zain Duraie

PRODUCER
Alaa Alasad

PRODUCTION COMPANY
Tabi360

CO-PRODUCTION COMPANIES
Le Bureau Films
Doha Film Institute
CMS Gulf

COUNTRY
JORDAN

Zain Duraie

ZAIN DURAIE is a writer/director. Her debut film HORIZON (2013) had its world premiere at Palm Springs Shorts Fest and won Best of the Fest Selects. Her last short film GIVE UP THE GHOST (2019) has been officially selected at the La Biennale Di Venezia main shorts competition and is the very first Jordanian female filmmaker to enter the Orizzonti shorts Competition. Duraie has won El Gouna Prize for Best Arab short, Vimeo Staff Pick award at the Palm Springs Shorts Fest, and many more awards worldwide.


I've come to realize that love and acceptance are essential for coping with mental illness. I strongly wanted to delve into the complex relationship between a mother and her child, and the healing power of acceptance and hope, even in the darkest times. And the critical need for psychiatric help for adolescents, as the risks of inaction far outweigh the risks of seeking treatment. This story speaks not just to families in the Arab world but also to mothers and families everywhere who struggle with identifying and addressing their children's mental health issues. It's a universal story of love, hope, and the resilience of the human spirit. By exploring the mother's journey of acceptance towards her son's undiagnosed mental illness, I intend to offer a nuanced and empathetic portrayal of mental health struggles within Arab societies, without turning the film into a social commentary. The backdrop of social stigma surrounding the family and the boy’s mental health serves as a subtle yet significant reminder of the challenges faced by those struggling with mental illness in the region. As this marks my debut feature, I made the decision to speak about something very personal in my life and distinct from what Arab films typically address, which often focus on politics or controversial issues. I am hoping that this intimate film, which is centred on human psychology and intricate characters, will be emotionally moving and offer a new perspective on a topic that requires much more attention in our part of the world.

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

Alaa Alasad

ALAA ALASAD, founder of Tabi360; a production house where he produces and co-produces fiction and non-fiction films. In his career, he worked with many renowned filmmakers including Academy-Award-winning producer Andres Vicente Gomez, on the Saudi-Spanish production BORN A KING (2019). Alassad has several notable credits as a producer such as GIVE UP THE GHOST (2019) short film which premiered at Venice International Film Festival, and Television which is currently nominated for Student Oscars. His other films toured prestigious film festivals like San Sebastian and Tallinn. His latest commercial work was in the Saudi remake of the Spanish film CHAMPIONS (2018) which hit the theatres in 2021.

Production company profile

TABI360 was founded in 2018 by producer Alaa Alasad and Writer/Director Khalid Abu Sharif who partnered with a clear vision; creating a film industry in Jordan by telling local stories and supporting local talents. Tabi360 local and regional producers have worked on a great many numbers of projects across the media spectrum, from Documentary to fiction, digital content to animation, and everything in between. His latest work Talavision is nominated for the Student Oscars, in addition to GIVE UP THE GHOST (2019) by Zain Duraie which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2019.

Where are we at?

TOTAL ESTIMATED BUDGET
1.032.000 EUR

FINANCES PENDING
350.000 EUR

FINANCES IN PLACE
472.000 EUR

Production timeline

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2023
Pre-production

NOVEMBER-MID-DECEMBER 2023
Production

JANUARY-APRIL 2024
Post-production

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