Searching for Ingmar Bergman (Bettina Böhler/Felix Moeller/Margarethe von Trotta, 2018, Germany/France)

Searching for Ingmar Bergman is Margarethe von Trotta’s 2018 documentary exploring the life and legacy of legendary Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman. Co-directed with Felix Moeller and Bettina Bohler, von Trotta takes a deep look at the director who has long been cited as an influence on her own work. Bergman was also a fan of von Trotta, listing her Marianne and Julianne as one of his favorite films. Von Trotta, not being Swedish, brings a unique perspective to Bergman’s life. Bergman had a long history with Germany, even going so far as to work and make films there during his period of tax exile from Sweden, which the film touches on.

While the film does heap praise on Bergman as an artist, in many respects, it is quite critical. The film delves into Bergman’s relationship with his children, which was - to put it mildly - lacking. His son Daniel, an interview subject in the film and a film director, recounts an emotional story in which his father demanded that he remove an unfavorable autobiographical portrayal from one of his films. We also get insight into Bergman’s working life and insecurities, even getting an interview with his long-time script girl.

Searching for Ingmar Bergman is revelatory even for people who have a great deal of familiarity with Bergman’s life and work. It features interviews with his closest collaborators like Liv Ullman, but also the new generation of filmmakers, including Swedish filmmakers like Ruben Ostlund. The film sheds light on the period of tax exile in Bergman’s career and how much this impacted him. It gets into his work in Germany during this period, and the two films he made (Serpent’s Egg and From the Life of the Marionettes). For that piece of Bergman history alone, it is worth watching.

7/10