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Bergman’s work may be viewed as a Gesamtkunstwerk: references, reflections and reversals are some of the stylistic devices used by this director who repeatedly drew on a superb ensemble of actors: Bibi Andersson, Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Eva Dahlbeck, Erland Josephson, Gunnel Lindblom, Birger Malmsten, Ingrid Thulin, Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow. And so thirty years after Scenes from a Marriage, Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson meet again as Marianne and Johan in Saraband (2002/03). This last film by Bergman will be presented in the Retrospective as an example of his many TV productions. The principle of continuity also played a huge role for Bergman in the visual composition of his films and led to his making twenty films with cameraman Sven Nykvist. One of these works was Persona (1965/66), Bergman’s uncompromising exploration of loneliness and identity.

Alongside his better-known works, such as Summer with Monika (Sommaren med Monika, 1952/53), Sawdust and Tinsel (Gycklarnas afton, 1953), The Seventh Seal (Det sjunde inseglet, 1956/57), The Silence, and Fanny and Alexander, the Retrospective will focus on the rediscovery of his little-known films from the 1940s and 1950s: e.g., his screenplay for Alf Sjöberg’s Frenzy [GB]/Torment [USA] (Hets, 1944), a film that renewed interest in Scandinavian cinema internationally. A moving tribute to Swedish cinematography constitutes Bergman’s collaboration with director and actor Victor Sjöström in 1949/50 on To Joy (Till glädje) and in 1957 on Wild Strawberries , in which Sjöström gave his last big performance. Already in 1945/46, this great master had served as advisor to the young and promising Bergman on his directorial debut Crisis (Kris).

The Retrospective will present all of Bergman’s own films for the screen as well as a sample of his works as a screenwriter. In addition it will present the documentaries made by Swedish filmmaker and Bergman-connoisseur Stig Björkman, who portrayed Bergman both in front of and behind the camera. Thanks to the Swedish Film Institute and the Swedish Institute, the prints screening in the Retrospective are virtually new. To supplement the film programme, there will also be a series of events with lectures and discussion panels.

Parallel to the Retrospective 2011, the Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen will be opening the exhibition “Ingmar Bergman – Truth and Lies” in the Filmhaus at Potsdamer Platz in mid January 2011. Due to our close cooperation with the Ingmar Bergman Foundation and a number of other Swedish partners, it will be possible, for the first time, to present many personal papers and documents related to Bergman’s films from his estate.

The Retrospective programme is accompanied by a series of events at the Deutsche Kinemathek including lectures, discussions, readings and presentations of documentation. The event series is a forum for our guests, a chance for discoveries, encounters and exchange – living cinematography.

The Deutsche Kinemathek is responsible for conceiving and producing accompanying publications which are sold during the festival at special sales counters and in the Berlin Film Museum’s M-Shop. Their content is very closely tied to the theme and film programme of the Retrospective or the Homage. The books take an in-depth look at and shed light on the theme from several angles. They also provide a historical context – so that the publications will continue to serve as useful reference works beyond their original purpose. The films shown are documented with comprehensive filmographies and original reviews in “FilmHefte” (Film Magazine) which have been published every year since 1997.

Please find some general information on the Retrospective and a list of its former guests under Retrospective & Homage.