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

Director Marjolein Busstra has completed a documentary centred on Manar Wahhab, a Palestinian educator who established House of Hope Vision Kindergarten & School in al-Eizariya in the occupied West Bank alongside her husband, Milad Vosgueritchian. The film emerged from Busstra's long-standing relationship with Wahhab, whom she first encountered 18 years prior during a film workshop in the region. Over the course of three years, Busstra and a Palestinian crew made nine separate journeys to the West Bank to document the school and Wahhab's personal life.

The documentary explores the Waldorf educational philosophy implemented at the school, which emphasises non-violent resistance and provides children with space to process emotions and trauma associated with living under occupation. According to Busstra, the school's approach focuses on preserving children's dignity and agency rather than allowing external circumstances to shape their inner development. The film captures both the institutional work of the school and the intimate dimensions of Wahhab's life, including moments of vulnerability and personal struggle.

Wahhab's decision to allow the filmmaking process to document her during difficult moments reflected the trust established between her and Busstra. Both shared fundamental commitments to education, children's creativity, and holistic human development, values that facilitated openness throughout the production. Wahhab acknowledged that the crew encountered multiple versions of herself across the three-year period, capturing the complexity of her experience.

Think-Film, the production company behind the documentary, previously produced 'The Voice of Hind Rajab', which documented the story of a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces in 2024. That film became a significant cultural reference point regarding systemic failures to protect children in conflict zones.