House of Hope: New film follows a Waldorf-inspired school in the West Bank

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that the new documentary “House of Hope” follows a Waldorf-inspired primary school in al-Eizariya in the occupied West Bank, focusing on Palestinian educator Manar Wahhab and her husband, Milad Vosgueritchian, who founded and run House of Hope Vision Kindergarten & School. The film, directed by Marjolein Busstra, portrays the school’s attempt to offer children a creative, emotionally supportive education while living under Israeli occupation.

According to Al Jazeera, Busstra worked with a Palestinian crew and filmed Wahhab over three years, making nine trips to the West Bank. The documentary centers not only on the school but also on Wahhab’s personal strain, family life and commitment to education. Wahhab told Al Jazeera that her long-standing friendship with Busstra and their shared belief in children’s creativity and holistic learning helped her allow difficult moments to be filmed.

The report says the school uses Waldorf principles, including emotional expression and nonviolence, as a way to help children preserve dignity and cope with trauma. The film also places the school’s work against the backdrop of worsening conditions after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel and Israel’s subsequent military campaign, with Al Jazeera describing intensified Israeli actions in the West Bank and the daily fears faced by families, including checkpoint delays.

“House of Hope” has already won best international feature documentary at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in May 2026, Al Jazeera reported. It has also screened at UNESCO in Paris and is expected to be shown at the Jerusalem Arab Film Festival. The film’s makers and subjects frame it as a story about Palestinian life, education and shared humanity beyond the usual images of violence.