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Germany, France · 2018
1h 35m
Director Margarethe von Trotta
Starring Margarethe von Trotta, Olivier Assayas, Daniel Bergman, Ingmar Bergman Jr.
Genre Documentary
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A personal documentary about the life and work of renowned Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman. Director Margarethe von Trotta uses archival footage from Bergman’s films and behind-the-scenes looks at his sets alongside interviews with contemporary directors and Bergman’s surviving relatives to pay tribute to the man’s life and impact on cinema history.
Screen International by Allan Hunter
Margarethe Von Trotta’s many personal connections to Ingmar Bergman lend a fresh, distinctive flavour to Searching For Ingmar Bergman. The documentary explores and champions Bergman’s artistic legacy but also captures a very human portrait of a complex man.
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Barry Hertz
Although Von Trotta skips around Bergman’s filmography a bit haphazardly, and touches upon his romantic proclivities in a frustratingly brief manner, there’s little room to go wrong when a film is seemingly 50 per cent composed of Bergman’s own footage.
(The verb in the title is not superfluous. If this movie resembles anything, it’s "Citizen Kane" — structure-wise, if not remotely aesthetically.)
The New York Times by Glenn Kenny
Enthusing over an effect Bergman used in his great 1983 “Fanny and Alexander,” the director Olivier Assayas concludes, “Art defines truth.” Just about every minute of this movie shows how that’s true.
The A.V. Club by Mike D'Angelo
Ultimately, the search here isn’t so much for Bergman as it is for a thesis and conclusion. Those who know nothing about the subject will learn a little. Those who know a lot will learn very little.
It’s an investigation in the form of a highly personalized meditation.
Margarethe von Trotta's documentary reminds us of the reasons for Bergman's continued influence on cinema today.
RogerEbert.com by Sheila O'Malley
An engaging and accessible look at one of the most important figures in cinema.
Film Journal International by Stephen Whitty
In the end, perhaps, von Trotta’s search for Bergman never quite finds him. But did he ever quite find himself? All he knew was that he was an artist.
The Hollywood Reporter by Todd McCarthy
Reasonably engaging as far as it goes, Searching for Ingmar Bergman evinces great appreciation for the writer-director's legacy and offers the testimonies of numerous eminent enthusiasts, but it leaves a good deal to be desired.
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