Kwaidan (1964): The Beauty of the Supernatural

Join us for a discussion of Kwaidan, Masaki Kobayashi’s extraordinary anthology of four Japanese ghost stories adapted from the writings of Lafcadio Hearn.

A film of haunting beauty, Kwaidan transforms traditional Japanese folklore into a hypnotic cinematic experience through its artificial landscapes, striking colours, theatrical compositions, and unsettling sound design. Rather than relying on conventional horror, Kobayashi creates a world where the supernatural emerges through silence, stillness, ritual, and the uncanny beauty of the image.

We’ll discuss how the film uses colour, framing, movement, sound, and visual artifice to create fear and wonder. What makes an image haunting? How does the artificial become more frightening than the realistic? And what do these ghost stories reveal about memory, desire, betrayal, and the relationship between the living and the dead?

Whether you’re a cinephile, a lover of Japanese cinema, or simply curious about the possibilities of film as a visual art, join us for an evening of cinema, conversation, and collective discovery.

No specialist knowledge required — just curiosity and a love of cinema.