Thicker Than Water

Elena Weiss

Producer

Verena Grafe-Hoft

Lab Edition

2026

Production

Junafilm

Country

Germany

SYNOPSIS

Fiona (14) and her brother Lenn (11) are on a family holiday when their parents suddenly separate. Their mother Thea tells Lenn in detail their father sexually assaulted her. Determined to protect Lenn, Fiona sets out to prove her mother is lying, but Lenn believes Thea, and their bond begins to fracture. When their parents reconcile and the toxic family dynamic closes in again, Fiona lets go of being Lenn’s protector. Only then can the siblings come back together, their bond stronger than ever.

DIRECTOR'S NOTE

״Thicker Than Water" is an autobiographical story and, at its heart, an ode to siblinghood. While it explores trauma being passed on to the next generation in a very direct way, its tone is shaped by the humor, tenderness, and resilience of Fiona and Lenn's relationship. Fiona must learn to let go of control, and truly listen to her brother, allowing their bond to become a powerful protection against childhood trauma. This is a story of two young survivors that offers hope and empowerment.

LOG LINE

During an all-inclusive holiday in Tenerife, the once unbreakable bond between two siblings seems to shatter, when 14-year-old Fiona tries to protect her sensitive younger brother Lenn after being confronted with a traumatic family secret.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

Eléna is a filmmaker with a BA in acting and MA in directing. Her short films "Flick a Cig" and "Of Kisses and Capes" screened at over 50 festivals worldwide and won several awards. She was selected for the stART.up scholarship for young artists and the ATELIER young talent programme by Filmfest Hamburg and Cannes Critics’ Week. Her series "Decibel" was part of Torino Series Lab 2025. She is currently developing her debut feature "Thicker Than Water" with Junafilm and the series "Holy Sh*t" with Letterbox.

PRODUCER

Verena Grafe-Hoft

Junafilm is a highly awarded independent production company. Since its founding in 2009, Junafilm has been developing innovative stories that inspire international audiences and are the result of trusting collaboration with creative minds from around the world. Junafilm’s productions range from feature films & series to international co-productions. With their first feature, "Nothing Bad Can Happen" Junafilm was presented in Cannes (Un Certain Regard, 2013). The film won more than 20 awards and was successfully received at more than 100 festivals. As a former journalist & author, Verena Gräfe-Höft is intensively involved in the development and creative realization of all Junafilm projects. Verena is an EAVE, ACE and Inside Pictures alumna, and was selected by German Films in 2017 as ‘Producer on the Move’. For "Pelican Blood" she won the Producer Award at the 2019 Hamburg Film Festival.

PRODUCTION COMPANY PROFILE

○ Junafilm
○ Behringstraße 16b, Hamburg
○ info@junafilm.de , verena@junafilm.de
○ +40-39906567

PRODUCTION BUDGET

○ Total budget: 3,000,000 USD
○ Confirmed budget and source: 60,000 USD (MOIN Filmfund Development Grant; Private Investor)

LANGUAGE

German, Spanish, English

Drama

GENRE

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