Knickerbocker Winter Film Series to host thoughtful films

The Knickerbocker is at it again with their annual winter film series and the lineup for this season seems to be just as dazzling and heart wrenching as ever.

Starting Jan. 22 and finishing strong April 14, the series is comprised of four independent films. Tickets are available at the Knickerbocker Theater for free if you are a Hope College student.

The series includes a foreign film as well as a documentary. The movies that audiences can look forward to seeing are “Lucky,” “Faces Places,” “Te Ata” and “Hotel Salvation.”

“Lucky” kicks off the film series, showing now until tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Starring the late Harry Dean Stanton as the main character, it tells the tale of a lonely, old, atheist man on a search for meaning as his own death grows near. The storyline ranges from lighter moments to more thoughtful ones, all while weighing the heaviness of both living and dying.

“Faces Places,” a french documentary showing Monday to Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m., follows the expedition of Agnès Varda and JR as they create large portraits of people they meet throughout France’s small towns and villages. Friendship is sparked between 89-year-old Varda and 33-year-old JR as they participate in their shared passion.

The story of the famous Native American performer Mary Thompson Fisher is recounted in the movie “Te Ata.” The film follows the course of her life, from her years in Indian territory to performances for grand audiences. Starring Q’orianka Kilcher as Te Ata Thompson Fisher, the movie will be showing at the Knickerbocker from March 12 to March 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Last but not least, the theater will be showing “Hotel Salvation,” starring Adil Hussain and Lalit Behl, from April 9 to April 14 at 7:30 p.m. In this film, an Indian husband and father has the unwanted task of taking his father to the holy city of Varanasi, where his father is convinced he will breathe his last breath. Much like “Lucky,” this final film explores the end of life from an outside perspective.

Once again, the Knickerbocker has provided its audience with a series of movies that will leave viewers moved, inspired and with much to think about.