Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams (1990) brings to life eight dreamlike vignettes inspired by the director’s own nighttime visions in this deeply personal and visually striking anthology film. Blending imagination with Japanese folklore, each segment explores themes of memory, nature, mortality, war, and the human experience: a young boy encounters a secret wedding of foxes in a forest; a soldier confronts the ghosts of his fallen comrades; an aging artist steps into the sumptuously realized world of Vincent Van Gogh, played by director Martin Scorsese; a small group witnesses an apocalyptic scene of a world ravaged by nuclear disaster. A late-career masterpiece from one of cinema’s most celebrated filmmakers, Dreams is a meditative reflection on life, spirituality, and humanity’s connection to the natural world.

This event is presented in conjunction with the UCSB Reads program. The program’s 2025 selection is The Book of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay. For tickets to attend Gay’s free public lecture at Campbell Hall on Thursday, May 8 at 7:30 PM, please visit this page.

This screening will be accompanied by a critical and historical introduction by Carsey-Wolf Center Assistant Director Miguel Penabella, including a brief discussion of the film’s connection to the key themes and ideas in The Book of Delights.