Bergman has described his opulent, ebullient epic Fanny and Alexander as "the sum total of my life as a filmmaker." He documented the making of that stunning farewell film in Document Fanny and Alexander, a fascinating self-portrait of one of cinema's great masters at work. Document begins the day before shooting on Fanny and Alexander is to commence, and follows the production through to the final wrap. It offers rare insight into Bergman's artistic interactions with such long-time collaborators as cinematographer Sven Nykvist and actor Gunnar Björnstrand, and includes clips not only from the familiar theatrical version of Fanny and Alexander, but also from the five-hour TV version never released in North America. The result is "a serious and absorbing study" (New York Times).

"When I was starting a new film at the beginning of my career, each time I would watch this documentary about the making of Fanny and Alexander. You see Bergman and Sven Nykvist working together; they are so simple, so fantastic and even a bit terrified to shoot at the beginning. These guys are what, 70 years old, and they are still a bit afraid. I would watch this film just to feel this spirit before I began to shoot."