Article by Sonny Arifien, illustration by Elise Gordon for segments of film

In a manner of speaking, every feather in a filmmaker’s cap is reflective in some way of their journey of age.

We as individuals are continuously being moulded and shaped by our surroundings - and our art is no less susceptible to this. It makes for an intriguing case study to analyse the first and last film’s that bookend a great director’s career. Sometimes they feel as if they were made by two entirely different filmmakers...and in some respects they are.

The visceral, and often intoxicating allure of the reverie is something that filmmaker Ingmar Bergman has utilised time and again in his work. Intimate thoughts are peppered throughout his filmography in fragmented pieces - often presented in dreamlike visions or nightmarish premonitions. This is why some Bergman films leave the audience feeling like they’ve just rummaged through the private drawer of a stranger. Afterall, there’s nothing more personal than one’s innermost thoughts and premonitions. And yet, like all masterful pieces of art, it’s easy to lose yourself in the beauty and craftsmanship on the surface; but it’s not until a second or third viewing that you attempt to peel back the layers and see the work for what it truly is…