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THE FARO DOCUMENT 1979
(Fårödokument 1979, 1979)


SUMMARY

In a documentary project somewhat akin to 28 Up, Bergman produced two films about his beloved island Farö, where he made his home and which served as the setting for such films as Persona, The Passion of Anna and Through a Glass Darkly. In 1969, troubled by the island's disappearing traditions and the exodus of its young people to the mainland, Bergman made a surprisingly direct and political document about Fårö's importance. Swedish critics hailed it as "one of his finest films." Ten years later, he decided to take a second look at situation, and made his second Fårö Document. (A third was planned for 1989, but was not made.) The update is surprisingly optimistic, with several remarkable "then and now" juxtapositions. The unhappy teenagers about to decamp for Stockholm in the first film turn out to have settled into the quiet, isolated Fårö life. Interweaving scenes of extraordinary beauty with interviews and rigorous sequences depicting everyday chores, customs and rituals on Fårö, Bergman develops a complex, understated and loving portrait of his tiny island.
Cinematheque Ontario




Cast
Credits

Producer: Ingmar Bergman
Director: Ingmar Bergman
Screenplay: Ingmar Bergman
Cinematography: Arne Carlsson
Music: Svante Pettersson, Sigvard Hult, Dag & Lena; Ingmar Nordströms; Strix-Q; Rock de Luxe; Ola & the Janglers
Editor: Sylvia Ingemarsson


THE FARO DOCUMENT 1979

Original title:
Fårödokument 1979

Other titles:
Fårö 1979 (UK); Fårö-dokument 1979 (Denmark); Mon île Fåro (France)

Production:
Cinematograph AB

Distribution:
Svenska Filminstitutet

Premiere:
24 December 1979 (Swedish television: Sveriges radio/televisionen); 30 October 1980 (theatrical release) (Coronet, New York)

Running time:
121 minutes

Aspect ratio:
1.37:1

Colour:
in black & white and colour

Language:
Swedish

Filmed:
on the island of Fårö.