Master filmmaker Bergman to be commemorated at 49th IFFI

In a career spanning 59 years, iconic filmmaker Ingmar Bergman directed 60 films and 170 plays, most of which were written by him. To commemorate the legacy of this legendary Swedish filmmaker, the 49th edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will showcase his incredible creations under the special segment – 'The wild at heart master in his craft: Retrospective section of Ingmar Bergman'. These films include Summer With Monika, Wild Strawberries, The Seventh Seal, Persona, Alexander, and Saraband.

In addition to his filmography, a documentary on Bergman titled 'Bergman Island'– directed by Marie Nyreröd has also been included in this section. The screenings will take place from November 21 – 28.

Bergman was born in Uppsala, Sweden on July 14, 1918. His film career began in 1941 when he started re-writing scripts, but his first major accomplishment was in 1944 when he wrote the screenplay for Torment, and his letter concerning the film (sometimes known as Frenzy) sparked debate on the condition of Swedish high schools. During the next ten years, he wrote and directed more than a dozen films, including Prison(Fängelse) in 1949, Sawdust and Tinsel (Gycklarnas afton) and Summers With Monika(Sommaren med Monika), both from 1953.

Bergman first achieved worldwide success with Smiles Of A Summer Night (1955), which won for 'Best poetic humour' and was nominated for Palme d'Or at Cannes the following year. Later, The Seventh Seal won a special jury prize and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at Cannes. Also, Wild Strawberries won numerous awards for Bergman and its star Victor Sjöström thereafter.

Furthermore, during the 60s, his work became increasingly pessimistic and oblique.

He directed three films (Through a Glass Darkly' (1961), 'Winter Light' (1962), and 'The Silence' (1963)) that explored theme of faith and doubt in God. Critics created the notion that common themes in these three films made them a trilogy.

Bergman retired from filmmaking in December 2003. He had a surgery in October 2006 which was difficult to recover. As a result, he died at the age of 89 in 2007.