Wednesdays

The Magician: An Ingmar Bergman Retrospective

Programmed by Anton Yu.

2015-09-30 @ 7:00 PM 9:00 PM

Summer With Monika

(Ingmar Bergman, 1953) · At the start of the short Nordic summer, two young adults act on an impulse – stealing a boat to drift freely into the wilderness. Monika is running away from an abusive father and a town full of leering men. Harry feels put down and exploited at his menial job. Together they live out a pastoral fantasy as fleeting as their youth. The film originally sparked controversy for its frank depiction of nudity and was the first Bergman film seen by Woody Allen.

runtime: 96 min format: 35mm

2015-10-07 @ 7:00 PM 9:00 PM

Sawdust and Tinsel

(Ingmar Bergman, 1953) · A circus coachman recounts the tale of Frost the Clown (Anders Ek), humiliated after his wanton wife draws the kind of laugh that hurts. Frost’s breakdown preludes the doomed romance of a ringmaster (Åke Grönberg) and his carny lover, who take turns feeling jealous and lonely when they come to a town where each has a chance to settle down. They may just have to settle for each other.

runtime: 93 min format: 16mm

2015-10-14 @ 7:00 PM 9:15 PM

Smiles of a Summer Night

(Ingmar Bergman, 1955) · You’ve got a cynical lawyer and his virgin wife, a virile army officer and his cold countess. Gather them for a night in the country. On top of that, toss in a priest-to-be, a saucy maid, and a scheming actress, and you have a farcical romp more reminiscent of Shakespearean comedy than the more familiar existential crises of the moody Nordic master. Another film set during the short, but intense, Swedish summer, Smiles is plump with naughty charm.

runtime: 108 min format: 35mm

2015-10-21 @ 7:00 PM 9:00 PM

The Seventh Seal

(Ingmar Bergman, 1957) · A knight (Max von Sydow) has just returned from the crusades only to meet Death (Bengt Ekerot) on the shores of Sweden, his homeland. Granted a reprieve for the duration of a fateful game of chess, he heads home with a party that includes his sardonic squire and an actor with visions. They cross a stark land devastated by the plague, earnestly searching for signs of God. The film established Bergman worldwide with its many now iconic scenes. runtime: 96 min format: 35mm

2015-10-28 @ 7:00 PM 9:00 PM

Wild Strawberries

(Ingmar Bergman, 1957) · On the morning of June 1st, Professor Isak Borg (director Victor Sjostrom) has a dream both dark and uncanny. He’s scheduled to drive to Lund to accept an honorary degree, but a series of visions and flashbacks casts a pall over his accomplishments. Bergman remains diplomatic, crafting a journey alternately bleak and promising in this elegiac road film.

runtime: 91 min format: 35mm

2015-11-04 @ 7:00 PM 9:00 PM

The Magician

(Ingmar Bergman, 1958) · Traveling magician Albert Vogler (Max von Sydow) comes to town with his performing troupe, “Vogler’s Magnetic Health Theater”, but the town’s scientifically minded leaders are worried about the supernatural rumors surrounding Vogler’s show. Aiming to uncover Vogler’s secrets, they have him display his talents and abilities to them before allowing entry to the town, but the clever magician has a few tricks up his sleeves himself.

runtime: 100 min format: 35mm

2015-11-11 @ 7:00 PM 9:00 PM

Through a Glass Darkly

(Ingmar Bergman, 1961) · Recently released from a mental institution, Karin (Harriet Andersson) takes a vacation on a remote island with her husband Martin (Max von Sydow), younger brother Minus (Lars Passgård), and rarely present father David (Gunnar Bjornstrand). But over the course of the next twenty-four hours, Karin begins to descend deeper into her schizophrenia, hearing what she believes to be the voice of God, and her relationships with her family members begin to deteriorate.

runtime: 89 min format: 35mm

2015-11-18 @ 7:00 PM 9:00 PM

Winter Light

(Ingmar Bergma, 1963) · The second in Bergman’s so-called Silence of God Trilogy after Through a Glass Darkly, Winter Light further explores issues of religion and man’s relationship with God through protagonist Tomas Ericsson (Gunnar Bjornstrand), a disillusioned small town pastor who undergoes a crisis of faith. Austere but just as engrossing, the film was also deeply personal to Bergman, who drew on his own strict religious upbringing as the son of a prominent pastor.

runtime: 81 min format: 16mm

2015-11-25 @ 7:00 PM 9:00 PM

Cries and Whispers

(Ingmar Bergman, 1972) · Maria and Karin return to their family home, an isolated countryside mansion, to visit their sister Agnes, who is dying from cancer. However, as Bergman explores through flashbacks, each of the three detached sisters has a painful past, and only Agnes’ religious maid Anna is left to give her comfort in her final days. Notable for its use of saturated color, especially crimson, Cries and Whispers also won cinematographer Sven Nykvist his first Oscar.

runtime: 91 min format: 35mm

2015-12-02 @ 7:00 PM 9:30 PM

The Magic Flute

(Ingmar Bergman, 1975) · Adapted from Mozart’s opera, Bergman’s film version of _The Magic Flute_ is a work of fantasy and wonder, centered around the love story between Tamino and Pamina, the Queen of the Night’s daughter. When Pamina is kidnapped, Tamino sets out to save her, armed with a magic flute that turns sadness to happiness. The film was a long-time project for Bergman, who had been captivated by Mozart’s opera since seeing it for the first time at Stockholm’s Royal Opera when he was 12.

runtime: 135 min format: 35mm