A new documentary is bringing renewed attention to two composers whose careers were shaped by exile, war, and reinvention. Emerging from the Shadows: Rediscovering the Legacies of Weinberg & Korngold, directed by Veronika Emily Pohl, has unveiled its first trailer as C Major Entertainment acquires worldwide distribution rights.
The film follows acclaimed cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper and four-time GRAMMY-nominated conductor Constantine Orbelian as they record in Lithuania with the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra. The sessions center on major works by Mieczysław Weinberg and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, including 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.
While Korngold is widely recognized as a pioneer of Hollywood’s golden age of film scoring, winning two Academy Awards and influencing generations of composers, Weinberg’s legacy has long remained in the shadows. The documentary draws parallels between the two men, both Jewish artists forced into exile during World War II. Weinberg fled to Moscow after his family was murdered in the Holocaust. Korngold escaped Vienna and reshaped the sound of Hollywood with his sweeping orchestral style.
Rather than presenting a traditional biographical portrait, the film intertwines live performance, historical context, and contemporary reflection, positioning music as both memory and survival. Watch the trailer below:
“In the shadows of history, the works of Weinberg and Korngold emerge as profound testaments to the resilience of the human spirit,” says Cooper. “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.”
Director Veronika Emily Pohl, whose previous work includes music-driven projects for ZDF Arte, SONY Classical, and Deutsche Grammophon, describes the film as “a journey through artistry, history, and identity, honoring two composers whose voices refused to vanish.”
She adds, “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.”
The documentary is produced by Bernhard Fleischer Moving Images GmbH. In tandem with the film’s rollout, Delos will release Hidden Legacies on March 13, featuring the same performances recorded for the project.
Emerging from the Shadows will hold a private New York premiere on February 23, 2026, at the Directors Guild of America Theater. It will also make its Eastern European festival debut at the Music Dance Screenings Film Festival Consonance in Tbilisi, Georgia.
With C Major now handling global distribution, the film aims to bring Weinberg’s long-overlooked catalog into wider conversation, while reframing Korngold not only as a Hollywood innovator but as an artist shaped by displacement and survival.
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