The award-winning documentary short AMAL | HOPE is now streaming globally on the Watch Documentaries YouTube Channel, offering viewers a moving look at how music can bridge even the deepest divides. The film follows the extraordinary collaboration of Duo Amal—Palestinian pianist Bishara Haroni and Israeli pianist Yaron Kohlberg—whose friendship and shared artistry have inspired audiences around the world since 2008.
In an era defined by conflict and divisions, AMAL | HOPE arrives as a timely and deeply human reminder that connection is still possible. Director Eros Zhao captures the duo’s journey with sensitivity, noting, “Their friendship offers a perspective we rarely get to see—one that goes beyond conflict and reveals the quiet power of connection across division.”
The film, produced by Maria Giacchino, blends intimate conversations, powerful performances, and beautifully observed moments to paint a portrait of two artists whose lives and stories intertwine across borders. The narrative reveals not just their musical chemistry but the emotional labor behind their collaboration—the balancing, the listening, and the trust required to create something meaningful together.
AMAL | HOPE moves with the rhythm of two worlds meeting. Rehearsals become moments of negotiation and harmony. Each shared look and pause carries a message deeper than words, showing how silence itself can become a shared song. In their hands, music becomes a language of understanding—carrying grace, curiosity, and hope.
The film also reflects on the larger implications of their collaboration. As Zhao explains, his first encounter with the duo revealed a story far beyond news headlines—a story that felt urgent, personal, and universal. Giacchino echoes this sentiment, saying their hope is to show that listening is the first step toward genuine human connection. Creativity, she notes, becomes a bridge when people allow vulnerability to replace fear.
Watch AMAL | HOPE HERE
AMAL | HOPE has earned remarkable festival success, including winning the Oscar-qualifying Best Documentary Short Award at the 2025 Balinale – Bali International Film Festival. The jury praised it as “a heartfelt story about how ‘the same’ we are, despite our sometimes stark differences… The music scenes say as much as the words.” The film also screened at the 2025 HollyShorts International Film Festival, the 2025 St. Louis Film Festival, and was the closing night film at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival.
The duo themselves, Haroni and Kohlberg, offer a humble reflection: “We are not here to offer answers. We are here to offer music—complicated, layered, sometimes dissonant, sometimes breathtakingly in sync. Just like the story we share.”
The documentary also highlights the wide-ranging career of director Dr. Eros Zhao, an accomplished artist, filmmaker, and scholar whose work spans museums, cultural institutions, and international festivals. His artistic sensibility gives the film its poetic, contemplative tone.
Now available to watch for free, AMAL | HOPE stands as a vibrant reminder of what becomes possible when two people choose to truly listen—and to create something beautiful together.
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