Bergman 2018 Documentary

Streisand / Movies

Bergman — A Year in a Life

Opened 2018

  • Credits

    • A The Match Factory, B-Reel Films, Sveriges Television AB, SF Studios, Gotlands Filmfond, Film Capital Stockholm Fond, Nordsvensk, Filmunderhallning, Reel Ventures, Motlys A/S production
    • Producers: Fredrik Heinig, Cecilia Nessen, Mattias Nohrborg
    • Director: Jane Magnusson
    • Camera (color, widescreen): Emil Klang
    • Editor: Hanna Lejonqvist
    • Music: Lars Kumlin, Jonas Beckman
    • WITH: Liv Ullmann, Thorsten Flinck, Barbra Streisand, Elliott Gould, Lena Endre

  • Purchase or Rent

Bergman - ett år, ett liv (original title) was a Swedish documentary commissioned for 2018 — the centenary of the birth of Ingmar Bergman. Its director, Jane Magnusson, interviewed more than 50 people who worked with Bergman, including Barbra Streisand – with whom Bergman tried to make a film of The Merry Widow opera in the 1970s.

In the documentary, Streisand says:

"When I visited Elliott [Gould, her husband at the time], who was making a picture for Ingmar Bergman, I was fascinated, and I watched for several days. And I thought how lucky Elliott was because there is Ingmar Bergman on his knees, below Elliott. The camera was on Elliott's closeup and Ingmar was talking him through a scene. Because I was such an admirer, I remember feeling jealous of Elliott that he was having such a brilliant director guide him."

Streisand also read one of Bergman's letters on screen:

“I'm often sleepless,” he wrote. “The night of July 14th there was a concert with Barbra Streisand for nearly an hour. I felt very happy and grateful. Love, Ingmar.”

Streisand briefly spoke about her brief work with Bergman on a film version of The Merry Widow:

"I had read the first act that Ingmar had sent me and I loved it. I adored it. It was so baudy and delicious. I loved it and I told him so. I think Ingmar was very sensitive to my criticism of the second act. As much as I loved the first act, I thought the second act could use some work."

When asked about the story which has circulated that Streisand invited Ingmar Bergman to a pool party at her house, Streisand responded:

"What I can tell you is that I never gave a pool party in my life."
End / Bergman — A Year in a Life
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