Searching for INGMAR BERGMAN

Synopsis

Internationally renowned director Margarethe von Trotta takes a closer look at Bergman’s life and work and explores his film legacy with Bergman’s closest collaborators, both in front and behind the camera, as well as a new generation of filmmakers. The documentary presents key scenes, recurring themes in his films and his life, and journeys to the places at the center of Bergman’s creative achievement and the focal points of his life such as the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, locations and landscapes from his masterpieces, and the stations from his career in Sweden and Germany. Explore the many layers of Bergman’s work and life with “Searching for INGMAR BERGMAN”.

With: Liv Ullmann (Persona, Cries and Whispers), Daniel Bergman, Ingmar, Jr Bergman, Olivier Assayas, Ruben Östlund, Stig Björkman, Mia Hansen-Løve, Katinka Faragó, Carlos Saura (Carmen, Cria Cuervos), Jean-Claude Carrière (Belle de Jour), Gabiy Dohm, Rita Russek, Gunnel Lindblom, Julia Dufvenius

"I am often asked whether I have a particular role model. Who is my favorite director? My answer is always the same: Ingmar Bergman. Of course, there are many film directors who are important to me, but he was the first whom I perceived as an ‘artist’ and who sparked the wish within me to make films myself.”  Margarethe von Trotta

40 years later and after having directed some 24 of her own films, von Trotta set off to explore the trail left by Bergman in the world of film. She still has tremendous respect for the master, but she embarks on a personal journey through the Bergman universe, his films and his life, visiting original locations and places to find out what was typical of Bergman. And she talks to members of his family and companions, who worked with him for many years. His female characters and a fresh interpretation of his masterpieces are key elements of this quest.  

But what significance does Bergman have for today’s generation of filmmakers? Aside from his internationally renowned actresses (Liv Ullmann, Gunnel Lindblom, Julia Dufvenius), his working companions and Bergman experts, von Trotta also met with different generations of directors from different countries: from Carlos Saura and Olivier Assayas, to Ruben Östlund and Mia Hansen Løve. During the talks with her colleagues, von Trotta asks: “Which films and which scenes inspired you? And what remains of Bergman – of his thoughts, his characters and his significance to the history of cinema?

Festivals/awards

World Premiere: 71st Festival de Cannes 2018 – Cannes Classics

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