ACF 728: "Hoichi, The Earless" episode of KWAIDAN at Japan Society this Friday, October 15th

Both images are of Katsuo Nakamura
in Kwaidan (Kaidan) © 1965 Toho Co., Ltd.

"Hoichi, The Earlless"
The 3rd episode in Kwaidan / Kaidan
(Kwaidan [Kaidan] © 1965 Toho Co., Ltd.)
Directed by Masaki Kobayashi
Friday, October 15, 2010 at 7:30 PM
Japan Society

Hoichi, The Earless is the third of four episodes in the film KWAIDAN, which will kick off Japan Society's next film series, ZEN & ITS OPPOSITE: ESSENTIAL (& Turbulent) Japanese Art House. This is the easily longest episode in the film. think of it as the "main course" after the "soup" and "salad" of the first two and before the "desert" of the final segment.

Hoichi (Katsuo Nakamura) is a talented blind musician. He is called upon to perform songs of a long ago sea battle between the Heijke and Genji clans, The trouble is that the invite comes from insistent ghosts and his perfromances take a terrible physical toll on him. To combat this evil influence, the head priest (played by Takashi Shimura) has Hoichi's entire body painted with holy verses. Unfortunately, two small areas are inadvertantly left vulnerable.

For more info about this film series at Japan Society, click here.

Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd avenues), New York, NY.