Bahraini filmmaker Faten Bushehri is making waves in the Netherlands with the proud nomination of Ik Ben Nieuw series — meaning I Am New — for the country’s top television awards, the Gouden Televizier-Ring. The Dutch series that she contributed to by writing and directing one of its episodes, Karim, is produced by Buddy Film Productions in collaboration with EO Docs.
Villa 88 caught up with Bushehri, who shared, “This nomination is a recognition for the entire cast and crew. Each kid has their own struggles adapting to a new life in the Netherlands as a newcomer. This is not only a big career win, but also a win for the social impact we as filmmakers strive to achieve with our work.”
The nominated series, Ik Ben Nieuw, explores emotional stories of refugee children’s struggles as they adapt to life in the Netherlands. Across five episodes, each instalment follows a different child’s journey, tracing their efforts to find a place within their new society.
The series nomination marks a proud moment and a massive milestone for Bahraini creatives abroad. Now, our talents are shaping narratives on the world’s screens and telling our own stories “This show was made for Dutch kids, and it is important that kids from different cultures are represented on Dutch screens because they’re now part of the Dutch society,” she shared.
Bushehri announced that Karim will debut as a standalone film at the forthcoming Bahrain Film Festival, offering Bahrainis an opportunity to experience world-class storytelling.
Faten Bushehri, born and raised in Bahrain, has had an impressive career that spans journalism, radio, television, and filmmaking. “I have always wanted to tell stories and give a voice to untold stories. But after a long journey with the news, it started to take a toll on me. Working in news is always reactive; you react to news, whereas crafting your own stories is a proactive process that also involves a creative team, which appealed to me,” she shares.
After relocating to the Netherlands, Bushehri shares that being a non-native speaker limited her career in journalism. Yet, this challenge became a turning point. She always wanted to move people and make an impact, and filmmaking became the door that made it possible. She took an intensive film directing course, followed by her first film with friends.
Faten Bushehri is a shining example of GCC talents thriving abroad. She speaks about the stories that she dreams of sharing. She revealed,“ I want to tell stories of real everyday struggles that we face, but maybe struggle to talk about. I hope to be able to make films that have emotional depth and authentic dialogue that audiences can relate to from anywhere in the world.”
Eager to tell stories beyond drama and challenge herself in the future by exploring different genres. “I want to make movies that are daring, impactful, and maybe even uncomfortable. With that, I hope I can leave audiences with food for thought and open a small window of reflection that maybe starts important conversations.”
As for her future projects: “I am in the process of developing my next short film and my first feature film, and looking forward to diving into these stories.”
