Basking in Bergman

Who knows what people think of Ingmar Bergman's films today? In an era when cinema is chock-full of superheroes and serial killers, special effects and acoustic bombast, Bergman's quiet studies of private lives have all the sex appeal of an old novel in a dusty library. At a time when people lap up their minute-by-minute distractions, the slow burn of Bergman will have not a few itching with impatience.

But Bergman was a pioneer in creating the complex screen character whose fears and desires were sometimes unknown to herself and the audience. And his storytelling devices have influenced generations of filmmakers from Robert Altman to Hong Sang-soo. With 2018 marking the centenary of the birth of the Swedish auteur, the Swedish Film Festival is showing eight of his iconic films, including The Seventh Seal (pictured) and Fanny & Alexander. Swedish meatballs and Scandinavian beer served during the festival should seal the deal.

The Swedish Film Festival runs till April 15 at The Projector. Visit theprojector.sg for details.