In April of 1960, Ingmar Bergman set out towards the island of Fårö for the first time, to scout locations for his upcoming feature, Through a Glass Darkly (1961). Not only did he find what he was looking for – he discovered his life’s new centre. In 1965, he moved to Fårö, turning his Stockholm home into a pieds-à-terre for whenever business demanded his attendance in the capital.
At the time of his death, Bergman’s Fårö estate counted four houses. It was also where he shot half a dozen features and TV series and two documentaries detailing the plight of the island’s inhabitants. Not long after the grandmaster’s demise and having already made a short tribute to his cinema (Vargtimmen – Nach einer Szene von Ingmar Bergman, 2010), Georg Tiller set out for Fårö in search of a spiritual residue. He was looking for the imprints, left by the island’s most famous adopted son, on those living there now. He found quite a few souls who were originally strangers to the place, just like Bergman and with one he struck a particularly strong bond. Sudanese stone quarry worker Edward Weki, whom he made the lead in what would become Persona Beach, as well as writing the film with him. Neither knew that this would be the beginning of a long journey together…
– Olaf Möller
Trailer
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Film details
- Countries of production
- Austria, Sweden
- Year
- 2011
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2024
- Length
- 144"
- Medium/Format
- DCP
