[ Theatralia 22 / 2019 / 1 (132—136) ] https://doi.org/10.5817/TY2019-1-16 Ingmar Bergman’s 100th Anniversary Celebration in the Czech Republic Ivona Solčániová ] Project Bergman 100 emerged from the col- SCANDI introduced pictures such as Au- laboration between several different Czech tumn Sonata, Scenes from a Marriage, Fanny institutions having a common interest in and Alexander, and The Silence. events events the work of the principal Swedish direc- [ tor Ingmar Bergman – the Swedish Em- Even though Ingmar Bergman became bassy, the 44th Summer Film School Uherské synonymous with Swedish filmography, Hradiště, the Academy of Performing Arts, he was also a great theatre enthusiast. Scandinavian House, the Ingmar Bergman In multiple events, Scandinavian House Foundation, Kolowrat Palace, the Be2Can showcased Bergman as a theatre and art project and other organizations engaged director who had worked in several Swed- with Swedish culture. The project aimed ish theaters. Lectures with a discussion to organize different events dedicated to ‘Unknown Ingmar Bergman’ and the honoring the professional work and life of showing of a documentary film Trespass- Ingmar Bergman. It introduced Bergman ing Bergman took place in both Brno and as a theatre director, filmmaker, scriptwrit- Prague. er and a respected man who is still influ- The presentation of Bergman in Brno encing artist all over the world. started with talks between the theatrolo- gist David Drozd and the essayist Pavel The very first event took place at the be- Švanda. Drozd introduced different faces ginning of February with the SCANDI1 film of the Swedish director concentrating festival. There were five movies presented mainly on his close relations to theatre in a special ‘Bergman section’, picked by whereas Švanda focused on Bergman’s re- Be2Can2 dramaturges Aleš Stuchlý and ception in the Czech environment. The Vít Schmarc. For the opening, Persona lecture was followed by a short perform- was chosen as the most sensitive and radi- ance of Henrik Ibsen’s Nora performed cal of Bergman’s picture. The films were by Kateřina Jebavá and Ondřej Jiráček. screened in Prague cinema Světozor, Perso- The excerpt was a reconstruction of the na in 35 mm film copy. Except forPersona , final scene from Bergman’s theatre pro- duction, which he directed in 1989. The 1 Film festival SCANDI is organized by Film Eu- event took place on 25th May at the cen- rope Media Company which repeatedly brings les- sons on contemporary Scandinavian and Nordic tral market hall of Zelný trh. films to Czech and Slovak cinemas. One week later the second lecture ex- 2 Be2Can falls under the Film Europe Media plained Ingmar Bergman’s impact on the Company. They focus on presenting award-winning artistic world, namely in a documentary films from the Berlinale, Venice and Cannes festivals film Trespassing Bergman screened in the- to Czech cinemas. 132 text_theatralia_01_2019.indd 132 11.6.2019 10:45:38 Ivona Solčániová Ingmar Bergman’s 100th Anniversary Celebration in the Czech Republic foyer of the Scala cinema.3. The opening time. Nordic filmography was the main lecture of the Nordist Karolína Stehlíková topic of last year’s summer film school6 introduced Bergman as an accomplished as well. person, having been active not only in the Fourteen feature films and three movie industry and theatres but also in the documentaries mapped Ingmar Berg- television and radio. man’s work for cinema, TV, and theatre. Theatralia Theatralia ‘The Unknown Bergman’ was pre- The movies were selected by Mareet Ko- sented on 6th and 7th June in Prague as skinen, a pedagogue at the Department of a collaboration of Atlas cinema and DISK Cinema Studies in Stockholm. ] theatre. The screening of The Trespassing Koskinen was one of the most remark- [ th 22 Bergman documentary was followed by able guests of the 44 Summer Film School / 2019 a discussion with the Czech-Swedish di- in Uherské Hradiště. She introduced every events [ rector and journalist Hynek Pallas whose film with a short talk about the presented professional career had started in the Ing- piece. As a keeper of the archives of the 1 ] mar magazine. Pallas was also one of the director’s heritage, Koskinen covered all collaborators on Bergman’s Video4 docu- important motives in Bergman’s filmogra- mentary. During these two occasions, the phy and continued with her interpretation Department of Dramatic Theatre of the of the author’s work. Academy of Performing Arts in Prague staged Bergman’s screenplay Cries and Katinka Farago is usually described as Ing- Whispers directed by Norbert Závodský. mar Bergman’s ‘right hand’. She worked with Bergman as a screenplay attendant, The 100th birthday anniversary of Ingmar production manager, and producer for Bergman had been celebrated at the 44th more than thirty years. Together with Summer Film School in Uherské Hradiště.5 Mareet Koskinen, she was one of the two The Scandinavian movies did not consti- major guests of the festival with the closest tute a part of this film festival for the first relation to Ingmar Bergman. Koskinen met with Farago for a ‘short’ 3 Jane Magnusson’s and Hynek Pallas’s documen- discussion after Bergman’s Persona screen- tary from 2013 captures private visits of world-re- ing, which happens to be Koskinen’s nowned film directors and actors in Bergman’s house on Fårö Island in the Baltic Sea. The documentary favourite movie. On the one hand, they reflects on Bergman’s rich career and looks upon the spoke about Bergman as a strict and prac- director’s private life. Names as Alejandro G. Iñár- ritu, Claire Denis, John Landis or Michael Haneke go 6 Except Bergman’s movies, the organizers chose through Bergman’s archives, explaining their passion Scandinavian movies as the main part of the festival. for Bergman’s work and the way Bergman inspired The festival included movies reflecting actual political their own professional lives. tensions in the Swedish society, silent films from 1911 4 Short Swedish TV series in which world-famous to 1922 and the (most popular) Scandinavian crime filmmakers such as Woody Allen, Lars von Trier or Ang movies. The hosts of 2017 festival were two Swedish Lee explain their relationship to Ingmar Bergman. directors, Jan Troell and Tarik Saleh. The organisers 5 The largest non-competitive film festival which also invited Jan Holmberg, the historian of the Swed- is organized annually in Uherské Hradiště, Czech Re- ish cinematography and Daniel Bergman, a son of public. The education program consists of many the- Ingmar Bergman with his pleasant memories on his matic sections, panel discussions, lectures and master own childhood. The 43rd film festival had prepared classes that are led by important film personalities, a ground for this year’s section called ‘Bergman: Ret- directors and other film professionals. rospective’. 133 text_theatralia_01_2019.indd 133 11.6.2019 10:45:38 Ivona Solčániová Ingmar Bergman’s 100th Anniversary Celebration in the Czech Republic tical filmmaker with serious work attitude. man’s work. ‘In Bergman’s scripts is not On the other hand, they reminisced about a place for improvisation,’ says Farago. ‘But a loving person with a specific sense of that evening, when actors left, the camera- humor. The ladies mentioned their first man saw a big cloud (in Sweden everything meeting with Ingmar Bergman as follows: depends on weather). The set crew costumed Bergman contacted Koskinen shortly after themselves and started dancing.’9 she finished her Ph.D. studies dealing with Farago also presented Bergman’s great Bergman’s movies. self-taught knowledge of music. ‘During ] ‘Hello! Ingmar Bergman on the phone!’ filming the Magic Flute, the music was on (Koskinen did not believe it in that mo- the set every day. Bergman was very re- ment) ‘…no, it’s really me!’7 continued sponsible when choosing the film music.’10 events events Bergman. Except for the movies, the music collec- [ After the talk, which lasted for two tion presents the most numerous part of hours, they come to an agreement. At that the director’s heritage. time Bergman needed someone who can help him with his large archive materials. The 44th film festival program was accom- Maaret Koskinen became a keeper of Berg- panied by a collection of posters for Berg- man’s heritage and one of the co-founders man’s movies. The exhibition took place of The Ingmar Bergman Foundation in in the Museum of Moravian Slovakia in Stockholm. Uherské Hradiště and was open for the Farago’s beginnings were not so easy. public just for the summer season. Except ‘He was not exactly an easygoing man,’ for the posters by the Czechs and Slovaks, mentioned Farago. She started in a me- the works of designers from German and nial role of the script supervisor during Poland were also displayed. her teenage years. The first encounter with The Czechoslovak artist Milan Grygar Ingmar Bergman was in 1954: ‘… and I met used the motives of ticking hours for the him and I stared! And he stared! And it was Bergman’s Wild Strawberries movie poster. thoroughly half a minute! For me it was The surrealistic painter Josef Vyleťal inspired long time. And then he started to laugh by Salvador Dalí created the poster for The ] his famous laughter and said “It will be al- Silence. Action paintings by the Polish design- 1 8 right!” and it was alright, for thirty years.’ ers Jan Mlodozeniec and Andrej Pagowski Their first collaboration took place during were used as the posters for movies The / 2019 22 the work on the movie Dreams in 1954. Serpent’s Egg and Autumn Sonata. Hans Hill- [ One of the greatest moments from the in- mann’s posters showed a distinctive style terview were her memories of the making of and visualization of movie content in case of the Seventh Seal, for Farago the most remark- Wild Strawberries and Autumn Sonata.11 able and beautiful movie.