Told through eight dreamlike stories, this late-career film by Akira Kurosawa draws from his own nighttime visions and traditional Japanese folklore. The film takes viewers on a visually rich journey through his imagination, moving from moments of childhood wonder to powerful, haunting scenes of destruction. Along the way, it reflects on the healing power of art and creativity. Dreams is both a celebration of Kurosawa’s unique artistic vision and a personal expression of concern for a world shaped by human neglect.

Reviews

‘A magnificent, immensely absorbing experience.’
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

‘It’s something altogether new for Kurosawa, a collection of short, sometimes fragmentary films that are less like dreams than fairy tales of past, present and future. The magical and mysterious are mixed with the practical, funny and polemical.’
Vincent Canby, The New York Times