Abramorama Acquires North American Rights to Documentary The Choice
Abramorama has acquired North American theatrical rights to The Choice, a documentary by John David Coles, and will open it in cinemas in January, according to Deadline.
The film opens at the Quad cinema in New York City on January 15. A national rollout across the United States and Canada follows. Theatrical rights are the right to show a film in cinemas, and for a documentary of this kind they are often the first step toward wider audiences on television and streaming later on.
The Choice follows three women whose lives were shaped by trauma. Edith "Edie" Eger was a psychologist and Holocaust survivor who wrote the 2017 bestseller The Choice: Embrace the Possible. Iris Haim is an Israeli mother whose son, Yotam, was taken hostage during the October 7 attacks. Sapir Cohen survived 55 days as a hostage in Gaza. The film moves between their stories, which the filmmakers present as a way of asking how people find room to choose their response to pain.
Eger died in May at the age of 98. Her daughter, Marianne Engle, is a clinical psychologist, and she will join Coles for a live conversation on November 19. The nonprofit Theoren is hosting that event as a Global Virtual Watch Event on Kinema, an online platform for screenings.
The film has already collected recognition on the festival circuit. It won the Brizzolara Family Foundation Award for Films of Conflict & Resolution at the 2026 Hamptons International Film Festival. The award carries a $5,000 cash prize and is named for Kim Brizzolara, a board member of the festival who founded the section. The film was also set to make its world premiere at the Berkshire International Film Festival earlier this year.
The Choice is also eligible for an Academy Award in the Best Feature Documentary category, according to Deadline. Eligibility means a film meets the Academy's rules for entry. It does not mean a nomination.
The production is a Talking Wall and Gigantic Pictures film. Coles produced it with Jason Orans, Pamela Ryan and Tamar Yoffe. It runs 86 minutes, according to a review published by The Berkshire Edge in June.
Abramorama is led by Karol Martesko-Fenster, who serves as chief executive of AB2 Media Group and Abramorama. The company's deal means the film now has a fixed release date and a cinema plan well before its winter opening.
