Internationally renowned director Margarethe von Trotta examines Ingmar Bergman’s life and work with a circle of his closest collaborators as well as a new generation of filmmakers. This documentary presents key components of his legacy, as it retraces themes that recurred in his life and art and takes us to the places that were central to Bergman’s creative achievements.
Among the artists von Trotta speaks with are Liv Ullmann (Actress–Persona, Cries And Whispers, etc.); Daniel Bergman & Ingmar Bergman, Jr. (Bergman’s Sons); Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel (Bergman’s grandson); Olivier Assayas (Writer, Director & Author of Conversations with Bergman); Ruben Östlund (Writer, Director – The Square); Stig Björkman (Author of Bergman on Bergman); Mia Hansen-Løve (Writer, Director – Things To Come); Gunnel Lindblom (Actress – The Silence, Virgin Spring); and other filmmakers and actors whose lives were touched by ‘The Genius.’
“They all express themselves in such a very moving and intimate way,” says von Trotta, “that in those encounters I found what I was looking for: a world of personal experience that resonates with the films.”
“I have carried Bergman in my heart all my life,” continues von Trotta. “In the last scene of this film, I lean against an enormous rock looking out at the sea. I felt very small there, quite like being in front of the Master himself. This rock is like him, it protects me, and I remain in its compassionate shadow.”
Check out photos from Searching For Ingmar Bergman:
