Column: Swedish film died with Ingmar Bergman

First published: 2016-07-17

It’s ironic in a way how idiotic and foolish the Swedish film industry has become and arrogant. And unfortunately, it seems the desired film industry already be over by now.

The Swedish film industry has fallen drastically in recent times. The only person we had was Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007), who in fact left his mark deep in the ground decades before he passed away. He had a purpose in his films because he knew how to create the film. They were emotional, dramatic, and interesting enough that he would retain its name as one of the greatest directors of all time. Given that he was the one who influenced and include Stanley Kubrick in the film art should evaluate his storytelling higher. Although he won an Oscar for his works, he’s an outstanding side of the Americans and the world around him. His works have a more appreciated side of Hollywood than the Swedes have for they usually take things for granted. Many of his films have been a recurring theme, as his characters share the same order – and the last name. In addition, music has a great significance in his films, which is a recurring theme in his works, such as Mozart and Bach. Several examples of this are reminded of Autumn Sonata (1978) and Saraband (2003), where the main characters are involved in any way in the musical instruments. In addition to Bergman, he made many films as he plays a lot. And even in the movies, he took inspiration from William Shakespeare in their works. After his clear largest film – Fanny and Alexander (1982), he began directing theatre more broadly instead of film. We have talented actors from who Skarsgard family, Max von Sydow, and Alicia Vikander. But no real eminent filmmakers like the level of Ingmar Bergman. He had his own style and his own tone that imbued his film. Maybe it was because every film he did have a distinct message that you actually remember.

Sure, the Swedes are immensely popular abroad, especially in the United States. But it is unfortunately not. Swedes can’t produce a movie, but probably the hell can they participate in a film. They are enough actors in Sweden to fill two football fields, but none of these can be clearly seen in the Swedish media, except if it’s about American Hollywood. However, it was only Ingrid Bergman, who actually received any proof of what she did in comparison to what we have now. Because the Swedes have currently won an Oscar for director or screenwriter. Even the Mexicans have won in the cinematographic – category three years in a row now. Therefore, we need a new generation to open their eyes if they want to participate together international film industry rather than let others do it for themselves, for they are good at something, do not do it for free. And if you want to develop Swedish film exports, it’s time now before Swedish film is dead forever. Swedes are outwardly cynical and cold. The more Swedes dedicate themselves to the theatre, the less chance there’s that we do something about Swedish film art. For now, Swedes are fleeing the country just to participate in various films abroad. Why?

Yes, one may ask. But most likely it is that the Swedish film industry sucks really bad right now. But when we make a well-produced production, we co-operate with another country. We can cooperate in the music or book industry but not the film industry, which is because the Swedes are cynical and cold by themselves but also because of non-state financing. Which is a truth that most Swedes carry themselves? Swedes are not xenophobic but it has a bigger private area around it than the Americans, British and Canadians could imagine having. Norwegians do Pirates of the Caribbean number five right now, a Finnish company has made a game so popular that they have shit to play and now there is a cartoon based on the film. However, so do not Sweden something that is successful and loved. Nothing shareholders, however, there is no director and screenwriter in the current situation that is worth seeing at the cinema, which is a pure Swedish production and not through a collaboration between the Nordic countries. Here, I don’t count in the most successful productions as Men Who Hate Women (2009) aka The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo when it was a Danish and Norwegian production. TV-series Bridge (2011-) isn’t included as it’s also produced along with Danish producers.  The crime genre is a sort of a cultural sign that Sweden does not do anything but that kind of movie. Sweden does not create long movies that actually affect the result these are easily forgotten.

If we are to save the Swedish film industry and film exports, it is time that we do something there. It does not work if each individual creates something different. It must be a production team who actually wants to tell you something. In Sweden, one thinks too much about what others think, and how it will be received. If you work in a group for a movie, so take the individual egoistic mindset in and start from himself. The other individual approaches were prioritized never. You think you are at the same level even if they have different roles; it does not work in the international industry. During recording, there is always a hierarchy of responsibility. All isn’t on the same level. It’s the director or producer who must guide the rest of the team. There is always someone who has the
the main responsibility in each production but in Sweden divergent is very easy.

It avoids it and blames that relate to the responsibility together. Such behavior does not work abroad if they want to reach anywhere in this industry. It is contempt powerful and disrespectful to the rest of the team, then a hierarchy of responsibility is needed when there are so many roles to be filled. It does not work that way abroad or even in Europe, so why should you do it in Sweden? Therefore, one should not try to concentrate on constructing after the American film industry without actually relating to our own roots and being able to analyze what was good enough before. Skip the damn detectives and the mindless comedies! They aren’t that good.

Make a drama or try to make something of their own. But since most Swedish celebrities flee to Hollywood or to the European film industry where there is a higher level and better quality it’s only understandable that Swedish film no longer has the financial economy and the capacity to make a big production in Sweden. Swedish productions that have been most successful are various TV shows that were popular in the 1990s and the years after the turn of the millennium.

Ingmar Bergman created movies like Fanny and Alexander, The Seventh Seal, and Persona. These were produced by the Swedish Film Industry, which is otherwise known as the SF but they have no more relationship with each other when the two are individual companies with various activities. Although it was the Swedish Film Industry that produced the films of Astrid Lindgren’s beloved works and Ingmar Bergman. How will after fifty or thirty years later, the Swedish quality drops drastically?

They did not have the same conventional values that it’s today, which is clear in how the Swedish film industry has become something that most people avoid. Many do not want to work in Swedish film anymore, for what you are looking for is not here. We may not have the same economic priority now as it was thirty years ago, but it also depends on where the state’s money goes to. The music industry in Sweden has never stopped thriving and is constantly growing, but the Swedish film industry fades away every day, in that Sweden’s foremost auteurs have passed away. But we need a new generation of filmmakers who may be Bergman’s successor.

It hasn’t yet appeared, not with Swedish nationality in all cases. We can write, and photograph, but the thing with writing screenplays and being able to direct them, seems to have died by now. Right now we have abstinence book adaption to film. There is as yet no one in the Swedish professional film production, who has developed an original script that has the same capacity and standard as the international film industry where there are large numbers involved and with a high budget. The Swedish film industry has lost the authentic feel of the film. Somehow it does not feel like our generation of filmmakers going to do something about our film industry.

Perhaps it is still so great Swedish film died with Ingmar Bergman.