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"When Marjolein first asked me to make the documentary together, I thought it would be mainly about the school. But after some time, I saw that the film also showed me as a person living with hardships and the mental impact of life in the West Bank. I saw myself tired, emotional, sometimes angry or disconnected. It was not easy to watch. Still, I understood what they wanted to show. They wanted to show courage—the courage of people who keep going despite everything."
Help Manar support to provide a safe haven for the young children at Waldorf school.
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Visit the Cookie Policy pageHouse of Hope is an intimate, observational film about Manar, a Palestinian woman who runs a pacifist Waldorf school in the occupied West Bank with her husband Milad. Amid escalating violence, stress, and uncertainty, they strive to provide a safe haven for young children.
Your support of House of Hope
The school at the heart of the film — House of Hope Vision Kindergarten & School in the West Bank — continues its vital work every day, providing healing, holistic education for Palestinian children living under occupation. Founded and led by Manar and Milad, the school offers a safe haven where children can learn, play, and begin to recover from trauma through the power of care, art, and non-violent education.
Your support helps sustain this vision. Every donation directly funds teacher salaries, classroom materials, and access to trauma-informed education for children who need it most. Together, we can help nurture resilience and hope in a place where they are needed more than ever.
Visit the website of House of Hope: www.houseofhope.vision
Through their website you can donate directly here.
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More on the film
In Al-Eizariya, a town in the occupied West Bank near Jerusalem, the Palestinian Manar and her husband Milad have founded a Waldorf school called House of Hope. An elementary school, based on the Waldorf educational philosophy, that embraces non-violent resistance, supporting children in healing from trauma. Manar tries to offer young Palestinian students a safe haven, but she’s finding it increasingly difficult.
In collaboration with a Palestinian crew, director Marjolein Busstra followed Manar and Milad at work as well as at home with their two children. The film crew kept returning over a period of three years. After 7 October 2023, tensions rise steadily inside and outside the home of the idealistic couple. The director’s photos, as well as phone recordings by Manar supplement their story.
Without security or dignity, life is suffocating, says Manar. She has spent her entire life under Israeli occupation, but the increasing violence and the accompanying stress are taking their toll. Yet the school remains open and the children sing about peace.
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