Bergman – Cries and whispers

"All värk var borta. De människor som jag håller mest av i världen var hos mig. Jag kunde höra dem småprata runt omkring mig. Jag kände närvaron av deras kroppar, värmen av deras händer. Jag ville hålla fast ögonblicket och tänkte: Det här är ju i alla fall lycka. Jag kan inte önska någonting bättre."  -Agneta, in the film Cries and whispers by Ingmar Bergman

Imagination and reality, past and present, fold into a multi-layered weave in the house of life and death.  

Compañía Kaari’s & Roni Martin’s work is based on Ingmar Bergman’s film Cries and whispers, in which the basic questions of life and death are drawn sharply against the limitations of life. For Bergman, the purpose of life is in life itself, and above all in its simplest human gesture - touch. In the group’s interpretation, the dance of life is accompanied by a harpsichord, the playing of which proceeds like the test of time, regardless of the person.   

Music & arrangements: Roni Martin
Interlude II: Domenico Scarlatti, Sonata K.183
Dramaturgy: Atro Kahiluoto
Choreography: Kaari Martin & company
Costume Design: Erika Turunen
Costume sewing: Taru Hahle, Ilkka Salakari, Johanna Vehmas
Make-up: Kaisu Hölttä
Performers: Eppu Helle, Jukka Huitila, Atro Kahiluoto, Jyrki Karttunen, Heidi Lehtoranta, Kaari Martin, Elina Mustonen, Sanna Salmenkallio

Light design and scenography: Jukka Huitila

The duration of the performance is approximately 60 min.

Tickets: ticketmaster.fi

Ernst Ingmar Bergman, born on the 14th of July, 1918 in Uppsala, died on the 30th of July, 2007 on Fårö, was a Swedish film and theatre director, writer, theatre manager, dramatist and author. Ingmar Bergman wrote or directed more than 60 films and 170 theatrical productions, and authored over a hundred books and articles. Ingmar Bergman was considered to be one of the greatest film makers and theatre directors of all time.

Cries and Whispers was released in 1973 and it was the first film in which Bergman used a zoom lens, a technique that was extremely popular at the time. Sven Nykvist a cinematographer was working together with Bergman and during the year 1974 won an Oscar for the cinematography of the film.

Bergman's sources of inspiration for the film

'The first image kept coming back, over and over: the room draped all in red with women clad in white. That's the way it is: Images obstinately resurface without my knowing what they want with me; then they disappear only to come back, looking exactly the same.

The performance is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited, London, on behalf of the Ingmar Bergman Foundation. www.ingmarbergman.se