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The New York Philharmonic, in partnership with Rolex and in collaboration with Lincoln Center, The Juilliard School, and DOC NYC, will present the US Premiere screening of the documentary film\u00a0El Canto de las Manos,\u00a0<\/em>and the directorial debut of actress and filmmaker\u00a0Mar\u00eda Valverde,\u00a0at the Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall, on\u00a0Friday, November 7 at 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n El Canto de las Manos<\/em>\u00a0centers on the 2022 production of Beethoven\u2019s opera\u00a0Fidelio,\u00a0<\/em>conducted by\u00a0Gustavo Dudamel, now the NY Phil\u2019s Tang Music & Artistic Director Designate, and husband of Valverde, and featuring\u00a0Coro de Manos Blancas, an ensemble comprising Deaf and hard of hearing performers, as well as performers with visual and cognitive impairments, from Venezuela, plus artists from\u00a0Deaf West Theatre.<\/a><\/p>\n El Canto de las Manos <\/em>is a feature-length documentary directed by Mar\u00eda Valverde and coproduced by Forty Entertainment and Quinchoncho<\/strong>. The 2025 film explores deafness through music, following Jennifer, Gabriel, and Jos\u00e9 \u2014 three Deaf musicians who are members of Venezuela\u2019s Coro de Manos Blancas \u2014 as they bring Beethoven\u2019s Fidelio to the stage in sign language for the first time, under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. The documentary delves into the challenges and emotions of this experience, revealing how the transformative power of music transcends sounds, breaking barriers and creating new forms of expression. Following its US Premiere at David Geffen Hall, El Canto de las Manos will be in competition at the 2025 DOC NYC film festival. This film was made in association with The deNovo Initiative and The Breathe Project, with the support of the Hilti Foundation, the Riegler & Deutsch Foundation, and Porticus and the Community Arts Network (CAN).<\/p>\n Before the screening,\u00a0Dudamel\u00a0will lead the\u00a0Juilliard Orchestra<\/strong>,\u00a0a\u00a0vocal quartet of Juilliard students,\u00a0and\u00a0 Deaf actors engaged through Deaf West Theatre\u00a0in\u00a0Mir ist so wunderbar, <\/em>\u00a0from\u00a0Fidelio.<\/em>\u00a0 Following the screening,\u00a0Bradley Cooper\u00a0\u2014 actor, filmmaker, and New York Philharmonic Board Member \u2014 will moderate a discussion with\u00a0Dudamel, Valverde,\u00a0and\u00a0DJ Kurs,\u00a0artistic director of Deaf West Theatre.\u00a0<\/p>\n Director Mar\u00eda Valverde<\/strong> said of the upcoming screening: \u201cMusic is not only the inspiration and driving force in the lives of these brilliant Deaf <\/a>artists, but also their refuge and salvation. This is a story of justice \u2014 of how art transcends the visible and transforms its protagonists into guides who illuminate a new way of experiencing music, one that comes from a deeper level of awareness; a declaration of freedom and dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n DOC NYC, the festival for documentaries, takes place annually in November; the 16th edition will be held November 12\u201330, 2025. The 2024 festival showcased more than 250 films and events with more than 1,000 filmmakers and special guests in attendance. In addition to premiering feature-length and short documentaries, the festival\u2019s highlights also include DOC NYC PRO, a series of in-depth panels and case studies that take place throughout the year; the Visionaries Tribute awards ceremony that honors major figures in the field of nonfiction film; and Pitch Day, for works in progress. DOC NYC is produced and presented by IFC Center, a division of AMC Networks.<\/p>\n Tickets and more information can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n