Ingmar Bergman's birth centennial celebrated
Film society Chalachitram has organized a three-day commemorative programme celebrating the late renowned Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman's birth centennial. The programme commenced on Sunday at National Art Gallery auditorium of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy with a seminar and screening of Bergman's film.
Film critic Mainuddin Khaled presented the key-note paper titled 'Ingmar Bergman: existentialist filmmaker' on the opening day, while filmmaker Morshedul Islam, film critics Dr Jakir Hossain Raju and Mahmudul Hasan attended the seminar as speakers.
In his paper, Khaled highlighted Bergman's life-long engagements with philosophical questions in his films. 'Bergman showed an existentialist bent of thoughts in his films which mostly deal with existential questions of mortality, loneliness, and religious faith,' said Khaled.
In addition to these cerebral topics, sexuality also features prominently in many of his films, added Khaled referencing to Bergman's films like 'The Seventh Seal' (1957), 'Wild Strawberries' (1957), 'The Silence' (1963), 'Persona' (1966), 'Cries and Whispers' (1972) and others.
Following the seminar, Bergman's historical fantasy film 'The Seventh Seal' was screened. On Monday, 'Wild Strawberries' and 'Winter Light' were screened at the same venue.
Today, two more Bergman films 'The Silence' and 'Persona' will be screened. Born in 1918, Ingmar Bergman was a director, writer and producer working in film, television, theatre and radio.
One of the most influential filmmakers of the twentieth century, Bergman's renowned films include 'Smiles of a Summer Night' (1955), 'The Seventh Seal' (1957), 'Wild Strawberries' (1957), 'The Silence' (1963), 'Persona' (1966), 'Cries and Whispers' (1972), 'Scenes from a Marriage' (1973), and 'Fanny and Alexander' (1982).Bergman died on July 30, 2007.
