Private Project

Red Thread

In the dim glow of a forgotten mall’s basement, a group of filmmakers summons three strangers to a photography studio for an unusual audition. As the camera rolls, fragments of the past seep into the present, pulling the strangers into the labyrinth of memories they’ve long buried. The echoes of the mall, once vibrant, now desolate, become a stage where hidden truths resurface, and the boundaries between reality and recollection blur. Through this haunting encounter, they unravel the threads of their past, inching toward liberation from the shadows that have bound them for decades.

  • Ahmad Naboulsi
    Director
    Black Mouse
  • Ahmad Naboulsi
    Writer
  • Ahmad Naboulsi
    Producer
  • Abdelrahman Tekriti
    Key Cast
  • Rana Al Baba
    Key Cast
  • Rawad Zayat
    Key Cast
  • Angelina Bilal
    Key Cast
  • Esper Melhem
    Key Cast
  • Iftikhar Kanawati
    Key Cast
  • Ahmad Abdallah
    Key Cast
  • Samir Kamana
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    خيط أحمر
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Runtime:
    25 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 20, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    22,680 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Lebanon
  • Country of Filming:
    Lebanon
  • Language:
    Arabic
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ahmad Naboulsi

Ahmad Naboulsi is an independent filmmaker, screenwriter, and multidisciplinary artist from Tripoli, Lebanon, whose work is grounded in the cultural and historical depth of his hometown. His films explore the human experience through themes of memory, transformation, and the hidden dynamics of everyday life. Ahmad’s work, spanning feature films, music videos, and installations, reflects his commitment to crafting distinctive cinematic narratives that defy convention. His short film Black Mouse and feature Edition 96 mark key milestones in his journey, with his latest docu-drama, Red Thread, exemplifying his passion for hybrid storytelling and his ability to capture the complexity of human relationships

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Director Statement

One day, while scrolling through TikTok, I came across a video depicting City Complex as an abandoned mall. The footage empty hallways, shuttered storefronts felt like a monument to something lost. In the comments, people reminisced about a place that once shaped their daily lives. City Complex was more than just a shopping center; it was a promise of modernity, a vision of a new way of living in Tripoli.

Built in the 1990s, in a city where commerce had always been defined by the horizontal sprawl of Mamluk souks, City Complex introduced something radical: verticality. It redefined how people interacted with space, how they shopped, gathered, and entertained themselves. It was the future, or at least it was meant to be. But like many ambitious projects, its trajectory changed. Today, the complex is largely abandoned. Cinema Planète, once the city’s most modern theater, shut down amid economic collapse. Most businesses faded away, leaving behind a scattered handful of outlets, cafés, and startup offices remnants of an interrupted dream.

As I read through the comments on that video, I saw the echoes of something deeper. I started reaching out, gathering stories from people who had been part of City Complex’s life. It reminded me of Black Mouse and its exploration of white elephants grand structures that carried bold aspirations but fell short of their promise.

Three stories emerged, each tied to a single theme: a broken promise. City Complex was once a symbol of Tripoli’s potential, its red logo standing tall against the old city skyline, signaling change. What remains is not the future it envisioned, but nostalgia for a time when the city still believed in it. Just like City Complex, our three characters were promised something only to have it violently taken away.