Swedish Culture
The Bergman Week is a celebration of Ingmar Bergman (1918 – 2007), a world-renowned Swedish director, writer, and producer. It usually takes place in late June.
Bergman Week
The Bergman Week is organized by the Bergman Center, a museum dedicated to the life and works of renowned Swedish film director, Ingmar Bergman.
The museum, which adjoins the Faro Museum, has a permanent exhibition entitled “Ingmar Bergman’s Filmic Landscape”.
The museum has a café serving salads, warm meals, good coffee, and mouthwatering cakes.
The museum is located on Faro, a small island in the Baltic Sea southeast of Stockholm.
Many of Ingmar’s later movies where filmed on the island, which has a permanent population of 600 people.
Known as the Island of Goats, Faro has a handful of shops and restaurants. Some of the restaurants close during winter. There are cottages and boarding houses for tourists wanting to spend the night.
Ingmar Bergman 101
Working in film, television, and theatre, Ingmar is considered one of the world’s most influential cinematographers . Next to Alfred Nobel and musical group Abba, Ingmar is arguably the most famous Swede of all time.
Ingmar directed more than 60 films and documentaries for television and the silver screen, most of which he also wrote. He also directed more than 170 plays.
He is most famous for films such as The Seventh Seal (1957), Wild Strawberries (1957), Persona (1966), Cries and Whispers (1972), and Fanny and Alexander (1982).
Ingmar’s work often dealt such dark themes as death, illness, betrayal, and insanity.
Most of Ingmar’s films were set in Sweden. After 1961, they were usually filmed on the island of Faro, which is not far from Gotland, a popular summer resort.
Included are Through a Glass Darkly (1961), Persona (1966), Hour of the Wolf (1968), Shame (1968), The Passion of Anna (1969), and Scenes From a Marriage (1972).
Ingmar Bergman is not to be confused with Swedish Actress Ingrid Bergman (1915 – 1982).
Born in Stockholm, Ingrid starred in many Hollywood films. She is best known for her outstanding performances in Casablanca, Murder on the Orient Express, and for Whom the Bell Tolls.
How to Get There
Ferries operate between Stockholm and Visby, the largest settlement on Gotland, a popular summer resort, which is located 90 kilometres, or 56 miles, from Stockholm.
Departing from both the Nynäshamn and Oskarshamn ferry terminals, ferries take about three and one-half hours to reach the scenic island.
Faro is 50 kilometres, or 30 miles, north of Gotland. Free ferries operate nearly 24 hours a day between Faro and the port at Visby.
Gotland can also be reached by airplane. Flights take 35 minutes.