Persona

A celebrated actress (Liv Ullmann), who is recovering from a nervous breakdown and no longer speaks or moves, develops an intense relationship with the nurse (Bibi Andersson) who is taking care of her. In this introspective psychological drama, director Ingmar Bergman examines the meaning of humanity and personal identity and how they can flow into each other. PERSONA is proof of Bergman’s devotion to the masters of Swedish silent cinema. The director embraces silence in his iconic images, which often speaks louder than words.

Bergman never spoke about the meaning of PERSONA, because he thought it was important for the audience to make their own conclusions. Writer Susan Sontag considered the film to be one of the best ever made in her review of the film for Sight and Sound. “My own view is that, even when turned into a ‘story’, this prevailing account of PERSONA grossly oversimplifies and misrepresents. (…) With PERSONA, it’s the temptation to invent more ‘story’ that has to be resisted.” Bergman scholar and film critic Peter Cowie wrote that “Everything one says about PERSONA may be contradicted, the opposite will also be true”. So, there’s nothing else to it but to come and watch the film for yourself.

With our FILM CLASS PASS, you can attend all screenings and lectures of the film historic season at a reduced rate.