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Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie
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Wikipedia article
'Ingmar Bergman Makes a Movie' is a 1963 Swedish documentary film directed by Vilgot Sjman which depicts the making of Ingmar Bergman's film 'Winter Light' from screenwriting to the film's premiere and critical reaction.
The film originally aired in five half-hour episodes on Swedish television. It has subsequently been included in a bonus disc of The Criterion Collection's box set of Bergman's "trilogy," 'Through a Glass Darkly' (1961), 'Winter Light', and 'The Silence' (1963).
Production
Sjman was beginning to write screenplays, and wishing to learn about directing, asked Bergman if he could observe him making a film. Sjman then approached Sveriges Television who were interested in airing a documentary about the process.Vilgot Sjman, "Documenting 'Winter Light'," 2003, published in 'A Film Trilogy by Ingmar Bergman', The Criterion Collection. Shooting of the documentary began after the 'Winter Light' screenplay was finished.Per F. Broman, "Music, Sound and Silence in the Films of Ingmar Bergman," 'Music, Sound and Filmmakers: Sonic Style in Cinema', Routledge, 2012, p. 17.
Bergman allowed for Sjman's crew to film rehearsals, but not the actual shooting. Bergman was also interviewed for the project. The documentary was shot on 16 mm film. After working with Bergman and on the documentary, Sjman's own films received attention, starting with '491'.Jeremy Geltzer, 'Dirty Words and Filthy Pictures: Film and the First Amendment', University of Texas Press, 2015.
Broadcast
The documentary began airing on SVT on 27 January 1963.Birgitta Steene, 'Ingmar Bergman: A Reference Guide', Amsterdam University Press, 2005, p. 1033. It was generally not available in Region 1 until The Criterion Collection released it in its Bergman trilogy box set.
Reception
Writing for 'Epinions' in 2007, scholar Stephen O. Murray called the film "A valuable document of a master craftsman working in top form." He also stated that "Sjman comes across as very earnest and relatively probing." Brian Burke of 'DVD Verdict' called it the "best documentary I've ever seen on the filmmaking process," adding Bergman appears "candid, relaxed, and animated."
Swedish musicologist Per F. Broman said the documentary has "fascinating insights" into the use of sound in the film. In 2015, 'Dagens Nyheter' referred to the documentary as slightly forgotten, but noted SVT would be rerunning it along with other Bergman-related programming between 25 October and 27 December.
References
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