HOLLAND (WTHC-AM/FM) — The Knickerbocker Theatre at Hope College will host the Michigan premiere of “Day of the Western Sunrise” 7:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, March 11-16, at the Knickerbocker Theatre, 86 E. Eighth St. in downtown Holland.
“Day of the Western Sunrise” is a documentary produced by Zeeland-native Keith Reimink, which follows three survivors of the U.S.-detonated Castle Bravo, the first in a series of hydrogen-weapon tests.
The men had been fishing on a Japanese tuna boat, off the coast of the Marshall Islands when the bomb detonated.
Reimink’s film adapts the Japanese storytelling method “kamishibai,” which means “paper drama,” to intimately retell the fishermen’s story of enduring endless medical tests, radiation sickness and loss.
All of the film’s scenes consist of individual drawings with paper texture animated in a 3D environment. The film is in Japanese with English subtitles and is not rated.
“Day of the Western Sunrise” recently won a 2018 Humanitarian Award from the IndieFEST Film Awards and earned a best documentary award at the Southern States Indie FanFilmFest as well as “Outstanding Excellence” honors at the DocsWithout Borders Film Festival.
Reimink, with his brother, Troy Reimink, who created the soundtrack, will be at the Knickerbocker showings on Monday, March 11, and Thursday, March 14, to speak with the audience following the film, and will visit Hope classes.
“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 cost $7 for regular admission, $6 for senior citizens, Hope College faculty and children.
