(Ingmar Bergman, Sweden 1966, 83 min., 35mm, Swedish with English subtitles)
Bergman’s once and future muses star together in this psychological drama examining the nature of identity. A young actress, Elisabet (Liv Ullmann), has suddenly stopped moving and speaking, leading to a stay in a hospital. Believing that this is an illness of the mind, the doctors charge a nurse, Alma (Bibi Andersson), with taking Elisabet to a remote cottage and caring for her there. At the cottage, Elisabet seems to improve, but Alma feels the need to fill her silence and begins to reveal secrets about herself. As the tension rises between the two women, they start to mirror each other to the point where even Elisabet’s husband doesn’t know the difference, leading to a shocking and radical finale. An inspiration to countless films from 3 Women to Mulholland Dr., it also contains a monologue by Andersson that is considered one of the most erotic sequences in the history of motion pictures.
Upcoming Events in this Series
Film Screenings | Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (35mm)
A Summer Trip through Europe(an Cinema) | The Sight & Sound Club One night, Emmi (Brigitte Mira), an aging cleaning woman, wanders into an unfamiliar bar during a downpour. She ends up dancing with a young Moroccan guest worker named Ali (El Hedi ben Salem). Soon they are close friends, then lovers, then they decide to be married, despite their near 20 year age difference.
Film Screenings | Larks on a String (35mm)
A Summer Trip through Europe(an Cinema) Private moments are hard to come by in post-war Czechoslovakia. Whether it’s the recitation of a poem, a philosophical conversation, the playing of a saxophone, or a simple flirtation, all are looked on with suspicion by the government and its agents.
Film Screenings | Eternity and a Day (35mm)
A Summer Trip through Europe(an Cinema) An elderly poet in Greece, alone and near death, takes comfort in memories of a happier time and the companionship of a young Albanian refugee.