Hiroshi Teshigahara’s 1964 psychological drama Woman in the Dunes, (original Japanese title: Suna no onna) follows an entomologist on a casual field trip who finds himself lured into a nightmarish existence – trapped in a sand dune with a mysterious woman and forced into a Sisyphean task of survival. What begins as a bizarre circumstance becomes a harrowing philosophical inquiry into time, identity, and the illusion of freedom.

The third title in our Arthouse 101: Japanese Cinema series, Woman in the Dunes is based on the novel by Kōbō Abe, and was brought to life by Hiroshi Teshigahara’s stark, surreal direction, and Torū Takemitsu’s haunting score.  Both a psychological thriller and a profound existential riddle, Woman in the Dunes is a landmark of Japan’s 1960s avant-garde cinema, and was nominated for two Academy Awards- Best Director, and Best Foreign Language Film – and took home the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Arthouse 101: Japanese Cinema is a curated 12-film trip through the evolution of Japan—from the quiet post-war resilience of the 1940s all the way to the radical reinventions of the 1990s. Each Monday this July-September, we will explore a new facet of this incredible nation’s cinematic journey throughout the 20th century. All films will be presented in their original Japanese language with English subtitles, at a reduced ticket price of $8.