The Hope College Knickerbocker Theatre will continue its tradition of showing independent and foreign films with four films scheduled between August and December.
The films are "The Band's Visit," "Young@Heart," "The Visitor" and "Brick Lane."
"The Band's Visit" will open the series with showings on Monday-Saturday, Aug. 11-16, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. A band comprised of members of the Egyptian police force head to Israel to play at the inaugural ceremony of an Arab arts center, only to find themselves lost in the wrong town. The night they spend with their unexpected hosts creates moments of humor, tenderness, and sadness. Israeli filmmaker Eran Kolirin's debut feature, THE BAND'S VISIT, is a subtle, heartfelt, and humane work that goes a long way toward dissolving the incredibly complex cultural divide that continues to plague the Middle East. When the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra flies from... Israeli filmmaker Eran Kolirin's debut feature is a subtle, heartfelt, and humane work that goes a long way toward dissolving the incredibly complex cultural divide that continues to plague the Middle East. "The Band's Visit" is a comedy/drama in English, Arabic and Hebrew with English subtitles. The film is rated PG-13.
The series will feature "Young@Heart" on Monday-Thursday, Sept. 15-18, with showings at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. The documentary looks at an extraordinary program for senior citizens - average age 81--in Northampton, Mass., who for the past 25 years have sung whatever they like, a mix that might well include rock, punk and disco music. British filmmaker Stephen Walker follows the current 24 members on their six-week rehearsal schedule culminating in a home town performance. The film has received rave reviews and the members have been featured on numerous television shows, including "The Today Show" and "Nightline." The film is rated PG and is in English.
"The Visitor" will show Monday-Saturday, Nov. 3-8, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. A "New York Times Critic's Pick," this comedy/drama follows 62-year-old professor Walter Vale, who is sleepwalking through life. He has lost his passion for teaching and writing, when his college sends him to Manhattan to attend a conference. Walter is surprised to find that a young couple has taken up residence in his apartment. Victims of a real estate scam, Tarek, a Syrian man, and Zainab, his Senegalese girlfriend, have nowhere else to go. In the first of a series of tests of the heart, Walter reluctantly allows the couple to stay with him. Touched by his kindness, Tarek, a talented musician, insists on teaching the aging academic to play the African drum. The instrument's exuberant rhythms revitalize Walter's faltering spirit and open his eyes to a vibrant world of local jazz clubs and Central Park drum circles. The film is rated PG-13, and is in English and Arabic with English subtitles.
The final film is "Brick Lane," which will show Monday-Saturday, Dec. 1-6, at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Based on the award-winning book by Monica Ali, it tells the story of a beautiful young Bangladeshi woman, Nazneen, who arrives in 1980s London, leaving behind her beloved sister and home, for an arranged marriage and a new life. Trapped within the four walls of her flat in East London, and in a loveless marriage with the middle-aged Chanu, she fears that her soul is quietly dying. Her sister Hasina, meanwhile, continues to live a carefree life back in Bangladesh, stumbling from one adventure to the next. Nazneen struggles to accept her own lifestyle, and keeps her head down in spite of life's blows, but she soon discovers that life cannot be avoided--and is forced to confront it the day that the hotheaded young Karim comes knocking at her door. The film is rated PG-13 and is in English.
Tickets for all of the films are $6 for regular admission and $5 for senior citizens and children. Updated information may be obtained by visiting www.hope.edu/arts/knick.
The Knickerbocker Theatre is located in downtown Holland at 86 E. Eighth St.