Exclusive Trailer for Emerging from the Shadows: Rediscovering the Legacies of Weinberg & Korngold Unveiled 

C Major Entertainment Acquires Worldwide Distribution Rights

Produced by Bernhard Fleischer Moving Images GmbH (BFMI), Emerging from the Shadows follows the acclaimed cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper and four-time GRAMMY®-nominated conductor Constantine Orbelian as they record with the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra in Lithuania, performing key orchestral works by both composers. The performance repertoire includes Weinberg’s Cello Concerto in C minor, Op. 43 and Fantasy for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 52, alongside Korngold’s Cello Concerto in C Major, Op. 37 — a piece emblematic of the composer’s return to his Viennese roots after achieving success in Hollywood.

Among the most celebrated composers of his generation, Erich Wolfgang Korngold won two Academy Awards® for Best Original Score and remains a cornerstone of early Hollywood film music, blending symphonic grandeur with cinematic storytelling. His combination of lush orchestration and emotional scope continues to influence film composers today.

The film intertwines poignant musical performance with an exploration of the composers’ shared Jewish heritage and exile during World War II. Both Weinberg and Korngold faced persecution and displacement — Weinberg escaped to Moscow after the murder of his family in the Holocaust, while Korngold fled Vienna and revolutionized Hollywood film scoring with his operatic lyricism.

“In the shadows of history, the works of Weinberg and Korngold emerge as profound testaments to the resilience of the human spirit,” says cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper, who serves as the film’s artistic centerpiece. “Their music invites us to rediscover beauty born from survival, to feel the echoes of their past while reflecting on our own time. Through the medium of film, their stories and their voices reach beyond the concert hall—allowing audiences everywhere to witness how art preserves memory, transforms pain into hope, and reminds us of our shared humanity.”

In conjunction with the premiere, on March 13th, Delos will release Hidden Legacies, an album featuring the same repertoire and performances by Cooper and Orbelian with the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra.

Director Veronika Emily Pohl, a US-German documentary filmmaker known for her work on music-centered projects for ZDF/Arte, SONY Classical, and Deutsche Grammophon, describes the project as “a journey through artistry, history, and identity — honoring two composers whose voices refused to vanish.”

"Music has a profound ability to connect and heal. I hope this film can foster understanding, and allow for human connection in the here and now," adds Pohl.

Emerging from the Shadows: Rediscovering the Legacies of Weinberg & Korngold merges concert performance, archival storytelling, and emotional reflection — illuminating how artistry, resilience, and remembrance intertwine through music.

The film will receive its New York City private premiere on Monday, February 23, 2026 at the Directors Guild of America Theater in New York.

The film will have its Eastern European festival debut at the 7th edition of Music Dance Screenings Film Festival Consonance in Tbilisi, Georgia (February 12 - 13, 2026).