Circus Bergman – 20 years of Light and Darkness!

This year's Bergman Week marks 20 years since its inception – and we're going to celebrate! The theme for this year's festival is Circus Bergman. A theme that encapsulates Bergman's entire creative universe – a dance on a tightrope between hope and despair, light and darkness. During this year's festival, we will gaze into the crystal ball towards the future of cinema, but also reflect on what has been, with our feet firmly planted in Bergman's beloved, barren Fårö soil.

Bergman Week 2024 will take place on Fårö over five intense days from June 24th to June 28th. The festival will be graced by acclaimed director Mika Gustafson, whose debut film Paradise is burning (2023) was awarded at the prestigious Venice Film Festival, as well as at the London Film Festival. The film's screenwriter, Alexander Öhrstrand, will also be our guest at this year's festival. Additionally, musician, composer, and Bergman Estate grantee Martin Hederos will attend Bergman Week this summer.

"Running a film festival is a bit like running a circus. Every time the tent is raised, everything starts anew, and the show begins. By choosing Circus Bergman as the theme, I wanted to find a way to celebrate Bergman Week's 20 years with all its different facets, conversations, films, and encounters. Celebrating becomes a form of resilience against the darkness that surrounds us. By approaching seriousness through playfulness," says Johan Hallström, artistic director, and continues:

"The circus is represented in many of Bergman's works, from 'The Seventh Seal' with the traveling theater troupe, to 'Sawdust and Tinsel,' and many, many more. There is a duality in the actor's and the clown's roles as entertainers that we want to explore. The circus contains both light and darkness, but above all, it aims to touch and move – and that's what we hope to do this summer through festivities, color, and celebration!"

Until the full program and tickets are released in April, we will gradually reveal more news about guests and program highlights during this year's Bergman Week. As usual, our visitors will be able to watch films in Bergman's own cinema and receive guided tours of the filming locations on the island by bike or bus. Additionally, there will be an extraordinary Bergman quiz with great prizes!

During this year's Bergman Week, the first-ever The Ingmar Bergman Script Award will also be presented in collaboration with SF Studios. Learn more about the prize here.