The Knickerbocker Theatre at Hope College will host the Michigan premiere of “Day of the Western Sunrise” on Monday-Saturday, March 11-16, at 7:30 p.m. in the Knickerbocker Theatre in downtown Holland.
“Day of the Western Sunrise” is a documentary produced by Zeeland-native Keith Reimink. The film follows three survivors from a Japanese tuna fishing boat who were fishing off the coast of the Marshall Islands when the U.S. detonated Castle Bravo, the first in a series of hydrogen-weapon tests. The film adapted a Japanese storytelling method known as “kamishibai,” which means “paper drama,” to intimately retell the fishermen’s story of enduring endless medical tests, radiation sickness and loss. Paying homage to this Japanese art form, all of the film’s scenes consist of individual drawings with paper texture being animated in a 3D environment. The film is in Japanese with English subtitles and is not rated.
“Day of the Western Sunrise” was recently awarded a 2018 Humanitarian Award from the IndieFEST Film Awards. The film was also named the “Best Documentary” at the Southern States Indie FanFilmFest and given an “Outstanding Excellence” award at DocsWithout Borders Film Festival.
Reimink will be at the Knickerbocker showings on Monday, March 11, and Thursday, March 14, to speak with the audience following the film, and will also be speaking to Hope classes. He will be joined by his brother, Troy Reimink, who created the soundtrack.
“Woman at War” will close out the Knickerbocker series on Monday-Saturday, April 1-6. The film tells the story of Halla, an independent woman in her late 40s, who adopts a child in the mists of her declared war on the local aluminum industry to stop its operations in the Icelandic highlands.
Tickets for the individual films are $7 for regular admission and $6 for senior citizens, Hope College faculty and children.
The Knickerbocker Theatre is located in downtown Holland at 86 E. Eighth St.