Onancock International Films Winter 2026 Season
January 8
Eleanor the Great (2025)
US
English
In Eleanor The Great, June Squibb brings to vivid life the witty and proudly troublesome 94-year-old Eleanor, who after a devastating loss, tells a tale that takes on a dangerous life of its own. Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut is a comically poignant exploration of how the stories we hear become the stories we tell. This is a film about loss, friendship, and compassion. Eleanor may not always be great, but this movie lets us see the parts of her that really are.
February 12
Tina (2025)
New Zealand
English/Samoan
We love movies from New Zealand! This is an uplifting and sincere mix of drama and comedy which takes a familiar “inspirational teacher” story into a moving celebration of Pacific Islander culture, resilience, and the healing power of music. A woman, grieving her daughter’s death in the Christchurch earthquakes, becomes a substitute teacher at an elite private school. Unexpectedly, she discovers students lacking guidance and care, prompting her to provide inspiration and support. Tina accentuates the beauty and warmth of mothers and great teachers.
March 12
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, (2025)
South Africa
English/Shona
Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight thrusts us into the tumultuous world of 8-year-old Bobo Fuller, whose childhood unfolds on her family’s Rhodesian farm, now Zimbabwe, as the Bush War rages to its bitter end. Set against this violent backdrop, and seen through her eyes, we witness the family’s desperate attachment to Africa’s soil and the deep, festering scars of a war that reshapes both land and soul. This film manages the difficult trick of getting us to care for the Fullers while saving our sympathy for the Zimbabweans.
April 9
Rental Family (2025)
Japan/US
Japanese/English
Set in modern-day Tokyo, Rental Family follows Phillip, an American actor, who struggles to find work and purpose till he lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency, inspired by real businesses that rent out actors to portray roles like wedding guests, estranged parents, and romantic partners. As he immerses himself in his clients’ worlds, Phillip begins to form genuine bonds that blur the lines between performance and reality and rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the quiet beauty of human connection. This is a thoroughly fascinating movie about a very real actor in the midst of one of the strangest careers we’ve witnessed.
