House of Hope documentary follows a Waldorf school in the West Bank
The film tracks Manar Wahhab’s school in al-Eizariya and its attempt to give Palestinian children safety, creativity and emotional space.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
The House of Hope documentary follows a Waldorf-inspired Palestinian school in the occupied West Bank, showing how its founders try to protect children’s emotional lives under Israeli occupation. Al Jazeera reported that the film centers on Manar Wahhab, who established House of Hope Vision Kindergarten & School in al-Eizariya with her husband, Milad Vosgueritchian.
Director Marjolein Busstra told Al Jazeera she spent three years filming with Wahhab and worked with a Palestinian crew. Busstra travelled to the occupied West Bank nine times during production and said she first met Wahhab 18 years earlier at a film workshop there.
What is the House of Hope documentary about?
House of Hope follows Wahhab, Vosgueritchian, their children and the school they run. The film looks at the school’s use of Waldorf ideas, which in this case are presented as a way to support nonviolent resistance, creativity and emotional expression among children living with the strain of occupation.
According to Al Jazeera, the documentary includes intimate scenes at school and at home, including moments when Wahhab is exhausted or distressed. Busstra said she and Wahhab agreed to continue filming during difficult moments because she wanted viewers to stay close to the experience rather than observe it from a distance.
Wahhab told Al Jazeera that her long friendship with Busstra helped her trust the crew. She said the film captured different sides of her over three years, from energetic and cooperative to overwhelmed, angry, ill or worn down.
A school built around safety and expression
Wahhab and Vosgueritchian founded House of Hope to offer Palestinian children a different kind of education, Al Jazeera reported. Wahhab described the school as a place built around love, safety, creativity and healing, and said it grew from the hardships faced by the surrounding community.
Busstra said the school tries to preserve children’s dignity by giving them room to feel and act like children. She told Al Jazeera that the school’s work is meant to keep occupation from defining the children’s inner lives.
Wahhab also defended the school’s emphasis on nonviolence. She told Al Jazeera she does not view nonviolence as weakness, saying it requires courage, patience, self-awareness and humility.
How the war changed the film’s context
Al Jazeera reported that the filming continued after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, incursion into southern Israel and Israel’s military response. Busstra said the story she wanted to tell with Wahhab did not change, but the atmosphere became heavier after that date.
The film also shows the pressure of intensified Israeli military activity in the West Bank, according to Al Jazeera. In one scene described by the outlet, Wahhab checks whether her son has a phone charger and spare clothes before school in case he is delayed for hours at a checkpoint.
Wahhab told Al Jazeera that Palestinians are asking for basic rights, including dignity, safety and freedom. She said she hopes the documentary helps audiences see Palestinians beyond stereotypes and beyond news images focused mainly on violence.
Festival recognition and screenings
House of Hope was produced by Think-Film, the company behind The Voice of Hind Rajab, Al Jazeera reported. That film told the story of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old killed by Israeli forces in 2024.
The documentary won best international feature documentary at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in May 2026. It has also screened at UNESCO in Paris and is due to be shown at the Jerusalem Arab Film Festival, according to Al Jazeera.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.