Our Little SisterOur Little Sister

The Hope College Knickerbocker Fall Film Series will open with “Our Little Sister” on Monday-Saturday Sept. 19-24, at 7:30 p.m.

The series continues the Knickerbocker Theatre’s tradition of showing new independent and foreign films for the West Michigan community. Four films are planned for September, October and November.

Based on the original graphic novel “Umimachi Diary,” by Akimi Yoshida, “Our Little Sister” is an award-winning melodrama that depicts the everyday pleasures and anguishes of family life. The film is directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, award-winning director of “Still Walking,” “Like Father, Like Son” and “After Life.”

Kenneth Turan of The Los Angeles Times has described the film as “Beautifully shot with an attention to the natural world… artfully written and crafted.” Mike D’Angelo of The Dissolve has said it is “The kind of movie in which characters gradually start to feel like extended members of your family.”

Set in the city of Kamakura, the film focuses on three adult sisters who live together in their late grandmother’s house after their father left home for another woman and their mother left home for another man. Once the sisters learn of the death of their father, they halfheartedly attend his funeral, and unexpectedly choose to adopt their newly-met teenage half-sister.

The film is rated PG, and is in Japanese with English subtitles.

Following “Our Little Sister,” the Knickerbocker Fall Film Series will continue with “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” showing Monday-Saturday, Oct. 3-8; “Life, Animated,” showing Monday-Saturday, Oct. 10-15; and “The Man Who Knew Infinite,” showing Monday-Saturday, Nov. 14-19. All films begin at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for the individual films are $7 for regular admission and $6 for senior citizens, Hope College faculty and children.  Tickets will be sold at the door but are also available in advance at the Events and Conferences Office located downtown in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.). The office is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890.

The Knickerbocker Theatre is located in downtown Holland at 86 E. Eighth St