‘Amal | Hope’ Balinale 2025 Winner in Oscar Consideration

LAPost / Pasadena, CA (November 9, 2025) — In a world increasingly defined by division and conflict, a powerful new documentary short by Chinese-born filmmaker Eros Zhao is striking a universal chord. AMAL | HOPE, which won Best Documentary Short at the 2025 Bali International Film Festival, held its North American special screening and piano concert on November 9 at the Steinway Piano Gallery Pasadena, sending a message of peace and understanding that transcends borders and beliefs.

During the Los Angeles event, Bishara Haroni performed live, delivering a deeply emotional recital that drew thunderous applause. Director Eros Zhao and producer Maria Giacchino joined the audience for an intimate post-screening discussion, moderated by Dr. Jeff Kryka, a Hollywood composer known for his work on Star Wars and Jurassic World. The panel delved into the film’s exploration of the harmony between music, art, and humanity.

We’re not here to provide answers,” Zhao said. “We use music to listen, to respond, and to understand. Music can be complex, even dissonant—but at some moment, it always finds harmony, just like their story.

Set against the backdrop of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, AMAL | HOPE follows two pianists—an Arab and a Jew—who come together to form the Duo Amal (“Hope Duo”), turning their friendship and shared love of classical music into a symbol of peace.

Their story began in Israel. Bishara Haroni, raised in Palestinian culture, first encountered classical music by chance during a childhood performance. Yaron Kohlberg, a prodigy who made his debut at nine, quickly rose to prominence in Israel’s music scene. Despite their contrasting backgrounds, the two met in 2008 during a peace-themed concert—an encounter that sparked an extraordinary musical partnership.

Their onstage chemistry led to the birth of Duo Amal, and since then, their music has become a living dialogue between cultures, one that challenges prejudice and celebrates shared humanity. Through lyrical cinematography and heartfelt interviews, Zhao’s documentary reveals how their collaboration evolved into a lifelong testament to empathy, resilience, and the healing power of art.

Dr. Eros Zhao, born in China, studied traditional Chinese painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts before pursuing advanced degrees in the United States. He earned a Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he later taught, as well as a Master’s in Chinese Art History from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Art Management from Shih Chien University in Taiwan.

An internationally active filmmaker and artist, Zhao has collaborated with institutions such as the Smithsonian Channel, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Denver Art Museum, and Steinway & Sons. His previous films have been nominated for the Austin Film Festival’s Best Documentary Short and have received multiple international awards.

Beyond filmmaking, Zhao is a respected scholar and collector of Chinese painting and Buddhist art. He was the first to translate his mentor Dr. Fu Shen’s classic work Studies in Connoisseurship into Chinese, advancing cross-cultural art dialogue between East and West.

Music has no borders,” Zhao noted. “Art is the universal language of humanity. Even in the most turbulent times, understanding and hope can still be heard.

Following screenings in San Francisco, London, Copenhagen, and Tel Aviv, AMAL | HOPE continues to move audiences worldwide. The film will hold a special Los Angeles performance screening at Zipper Hall on January 10, 2026, where Duo Amal will perform live for an immersive musical experience.

Produced jointly by Templux Productions (USA) and Beijing Times Light Media, the film’s executive producer is Mira Ledger, a renowned Hollywood investor, with Maria Giacchino as producer and Jin Wang, Chairman of Times Light Media, as co-producer.

AMAL | HOPE is more than a documentary about music—it is a poetic meditation on humanity’s shared longing for peace. Through the language of the piano, it stitches together the wounds of conflict and plays an everlasting symphony of hope, love, and harmony.

Written by Richard Ren / LAPost