Littlerock

While on a site-seeing trip in California, a pair of Japanese siblings find themselves stuck in the small, dusty town of Littlerock when their rental car breaks down. Not long after checking into a dingy motel room, Rintaro and Atsuko are invited to a party in an adjacent room, where the young locals teach Rintaro how to shotgun a Coors Light and marvel at Atsuko’s exotic beauty. Language barriers aside, she is entranced by these new people and humble surroundings and decides to stay, while Rintaro presses on to San Francisco. Invigorated by her new sense of freedom, Atsuko extends her stay and finds friendship, romance, and a possible new home. A story of miscommunication and hopefulness, LITTLEROCK shines with writer/director Mike Ott’s subtle observations of his strongly constructed characters and the place in which they live, wonder, and want. (In English and Japanese with subtitles) – Seattle International Film Festival