Ghost Town – Films – Visions du Réel

Katharine Round
United Kingdom | 2026 | 62 min
World premiere
Language : Japanese
Subtitles : English, French

Ghosts are everywhere in Kamaishi. This small coastal city was devastated by the 2011 tsunami, and the inhabitants who chose to stay are still haunted by the tragedy. Rigging cameras in the town's taxis transforms them into mobile confession booths where, over the course of one night, we meet the living and the ghosts that populate their daily lives.

In 2011, the coastal city of Kamaishi was devastated by an infamous tsunami. The houses were destroyed and a large number of the inhabitants left the city. Those who chose to stay are forever changed. Arriving in Kamaishi, filmmaker Katharine Round sets up her camera in the city's taxis. With the device fixed in the passenger compartment, she scrutinises the exchanges in this space transformed into a small theatre; both an internal microcosm of sociability and a cell that connects to the outside world. Of course, there is no shortage of platitudes about the weather, but also discussions of a profound spirituality. This is where the ghosts take on a prominent role. Because here, they are very much present. Sometimes seen as mischievous spirits that frighten the inhabitants, sometimes as symbols of good fortune and happiness, these reminiscences of the past occupy a very special place in the hearts and narrow streets of the coastal city. They are cherished and feared, and reveal the indelible mark left by the tragedy, present at every turn in the road. Because in Kamaishi, it is said, those who know how to accept their presence can receive some comfort faced with the power of nature.

Bastien Bento

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