The Choice

USA 2026 | Director: John David Coles | English | 84 minutes

CANADIAN PREMIERE

Documentary

This life-affirming and ultimately uplifting documentary tells the stories of Iris Haim, an Israeli mother grappling with profound loss, and Dr. Edith Eger, a best-selling American author, renowned psychologist, and Holocaust survivor, whose extraordinary life and teachings become a lifeline for Iris in her darkest hours. After her son was taken hostage on October 7th and later killed under extremely tragic circumstances during the ensuing war in Gaza, Iris finds an unexpected source of comfort and inspiration in Dr. Eger’s best-selling memoir “The Choice: Embrace the Possible”.  Award-winning filmmaker John David Coles deftly weaves together the stories of these two remarkable women, along with that of Sapir Cohen, a young woman who was taken hostage on October 7th and survived 55 days in captivity. Their individual journeys, and the choices they make on their paths toward healing, become a living dialogue across generations – a powerful meditation on trauma, survival, freedom, and the human capacity to transform pain into resilience and hope, through the choices we make.

Copies of Dr. Edith Eger’s best-selling memoir The Choice: Embrace the Possible will be available for purchase.

Presented in collaboration with the Paperny Family JCC’s

JEWISH BOOK FESTIVAL