INGMAR BERGMAN
Woody Allen called Bergman "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera". Over a 60 year period he directed 62 films and over 170 plays. Always thought provoking, they range from the deeply introspective Wild Strawberries to the light hearted interpretation of Mozart's The Magic Flute. Most dealt with mortality and loneliness. In comparison Smiles of a Summer Night in much less gloomy and haas touches of comedy.

Born in Sweden, at the age of nine Bergman exchanged his tin soldiers for an early version of a camera and his course was set. As a teen-ager he visited Germany where he attended a rally of the Nazi Adolf Hitler and became a convert. In later years he realized his mistake. While in college he wrote several plays and an opera.

In 1976 a charge of tax evasion changed his life. Although the charges were later dropped, he became very bitter and went into voluntary exile in Germany and on the Swedish island of Fårö. He continued to make films but only went back to mainland Sweden near the end of his life. Married five times he had nine children whom he acknowledged. He is buried on Fårö.

SMILES OF A SUMMER NIGHT
This project started just after Bergman had finished directing a production of The Merry Widow, and in contrast to most of his work, he gave the new story a turn-of the-century setting. "Boudoir farce became lyric poetry". It is all a game of musical chairs and nobody really wins. Starring four of Sweden's greatest actresses it is one of the most popular of all Bergman's works.

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Revised December 2009
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