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Palador Pictures, the undisputed leader in the World Cinema category in India with close to a 1,000 of the best and most awarded films in association with the Embassy of Sweden brings Remembering Bergman - A Retrospective, a tribute to Ingmar Bergman, one of the greatest filmmakers of all times on his first death anniversary.
The Retrospective was inaugurated by the Ambassador of Sweden today with the unveiling of the Ingmar Bergman Collector’s Edition 5 DVD Box Set and the announcement of the film festival.
The films which are available to audiences on the DVD Box Set are: ‘Music in Darkness’, ‘Summer With Monika’, ‘Through a Glass Darkly’, ‘Winter Light’ and ‘The Silence’, with ‘Intermezzo’ - a freewheeling interview with Ingmar Bergman - as a special feature. The festival will showcase, in addition to some of the films on the DVD box, ‘Wild Strawberries’, ‘Summer Interlude’ and ‘Devil’s Eye.’
Elaborating on the rationale behind the Bergman Retrospective, Gautam Shiknis, Founder and Managing Director, Palador Pictures said, “Ingmar Bergman’s films have moved, inspired and influenced a host of filmmakers and audiences across the world. It is no wonder that he is often called the greatest cinematic artist ever. It is only just that the nation that makes the largest quantity of films in the world each year, should also get the best quality films from across the world. On the first death anniversary of Bergman, this festival and box set is this nation’s tribute to the great master.”
“Bergman is easily one of the best-known Swedes in the world and it is very heartening for me to be a part of the process to make sure that his work is accessible to his fans and film enthusiasts in India,” said H.E. Lars-Olof Lindgren, Ambassador of Sweden to India. “What makes this Retrospective even more special for me, is the fact that we are all gathered to pay tribute to Mr Bergman, the man who has not just defined Swedish cinema for the world, but has contributed to shaping cinema as the world knows it too.’’
Another high point of the Retrospective is the presence of Gunnar Bergdahl, Director of two documentaries made on Bergman – ‘Intermezzo: Ingmar Bergman’ and ‘The Voices of Bergman’ as well as a close friend of the filmmaker. Intermezzo will be screened for students of film and general public at workshops conducted by Mr Bergdahl in Delhi and Mumbai.
Remembering Berman, Mr Bergdahl added, “I’m happy to have had the opportunity to share some time with him. He might be gone now, but his passion for the possibilities and challenges of filmmaking will be inspiring for ever. In fact, I once asked, ‘Mr Bergman, don’t you ever tire of watching all these films?’ He laughed and said, ‘Filmmaking is an expanding universe. The more you look, the more you find!"
Mohan Polamar, co-founder and Joint MD Palador Pictures said, “Bergman stormed into the World Cinema scene with two masterpieces in the same year, 1957. Such was the genius of this prolific director without whose name no discussion of cinema would ever be complete. It hurt us to know that masterpieces made by him and other great directors had never been available in this country to the masses. With this festival, I personally feel a sense of satisfaction about the number of people it is reaching out to across the country. When quality cinema as embodied by Bergman is widely seen and appreciated, quality cinema would end up being made as well.”
Supporting this endeavour, of making world cinema accessible to the Indian audiences, are partners ICICI, iMint, Indiaplaza, Inox, People Magazine, Myntra and Bright Advertising in India, and The Swedish Institute and the Swedish Film Institute in Sweden.
About Ingmar Bergman: Ingmar Bergman is unquestionably among the best known Swedes in the world. He is not only Sweden’s foremost filmmaker of all time, but is generally regarded as one of the foremost figures in the entire history of the cinematic arts. In fact, Bergman is among a relatively small, exclusive group of filmmakers—a Fellini, an Antonioni, a Tarkovsky—whose family names rarely need to be accompanied by a given name: “Bergman” is a concept, a kind of “brand name” in itself.
With nine personal Oscar nominations and three of his films winning the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, Ingmar Bergman won every conceivable and coveted film award on the planet.
Festival Schedule:
Delhi - August 8-14
Kolkata - August 15-21
Chennai - August 22-28
Bangalore - August 29-September 4
Pune - September 5-11
Mumbai - September 12-18
About Palador
Palador (mypalador.com) began 4 years back as a movement to kick-start the tradition of great cinema in the Indian subcontinent. Today Palador has the largest collection of Foreign Language Cinema under one roof in Asia. Palador owns the most award winning films from the greatest directors the world has ever seen – from masters of yesteryears to today’s: Kurosawa, Kieslowski, Godard, Bergman, Trauffaut, Kiarostami, Lynch etc. – to cinema in all genre: action, comedy, drama, documentary, short films etc. – to cinema from all movements: Italian Neo-Realism, French New Wave, Iranian New-Wave etc. But Palador is not just about the content. It’s about programming them, to suit different needs of: TV Channels, Film Festivals, Corporates, Colleges, Clubs, Theatres etc. and of different media: DVD, TV, Internet, Theatre, Mobile etc. Palador was the first to focus on the short works of aspiring film makers, helping to popularize the concept and adoption of short film in the Indian media landscape. Palador is also the only in the world to program short films of aspiring as well as rare films of established film makers in the DVD movies of great directors. In short it is helping build a platform for freedom of expression for creators of good and great content in this nation.
For more information, please contact:
Ms Saloni Zaver-Ahluwalia
Embassy of Sweden
New Delhi 110 001
T: +91 98995 75713
E: saloni.zaveri-ahluwalia[.]foreign.ministry.se.
Abhinav K. Srivastava, Comma Consulting Mumbai
T: +91 9892323750 / E: abhinav.srivastava[.]comma.in.
Appendix: Synopsis of Bergman Films (On Box Set as well as the DVD)
Wild Strawberries: Shaken by a foreboding dream, Professor Borg decides to drive, rather than fly to his felicitation function. His daughter-in-law accompanies him and makes no attempt to hide her dislike for his selfishness, despite his apparently amicable personality. On the way they give a ride to a young girl and her two suitors. These factors, and a visit to his mother, rekindle old memories and through sleep and waking dream, he becomes a spectator to his own past, through the wild strawberry patch of his youth.
Summer Interlude: On an idyllic summer vacation, Marie falls in love with Henrik. But a tragic accident cuts short Henrik’s life. Ten years later, at the height of her career as a successful Opera dancer, Marie remembers the ways in which that tragic summer changes her forever. She realizes that first love never dies, but something dies with first love.
Music In Darkness: Rich and handsome Bengt loses hope after an accident leaves him blind. The darkness threatens his remaining impressions of sight, challenges his beliefs, and brings about a deafening silence. Even well intentioned relationships cause him self pity.
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