Born in Ljungby on November 18, 1910, Fischer studied painting for Otte Sköld, lived in Copenhagen and spent three years enlisted in the navy before he applied for work at the Svensk Filmindustri. At SF he learned cinematography from Victor Sjöstrom's legendary photographer Julius Jaenzon and started out as assistant cameraman in Smålänningar (1935).  He then was engaged as assistant cameraman for 16 feature films before his first film as director of photography in 1942.

© Svensk Filmindustri

During his productive years from 1935-75, Gunnar Fischer worked with the most prominent Swedish directors and also with international directors such as Anthony Asquith and Carl Theodor Dreyer. He served as cinematographer for twelve of the young Ingmar Bergman's films, from Harbour City in 1948 to The Devil's Eye (and also the title design in The Touch 1971). Gunnar Fischer:

Photo: Åke G Nilsson
© SF

"I felt privileged collaborating with Bergman. He was never indifferent to photography. He could be upset if he didn't like what he saw. Why our collaboration ended with The Devil's Eye, I don't really know. Realistically it's most likely that he thought Sven Nykvist was a better photographer."

Torsten Jungstedt described Fischer's style as following:

"Fischer's cinematography is characterized by the fact that he came relatively late in life to film in the transition from silent to sound film, and was also an educated artist. But as a cinematographer he accepted Bergman and Dreyer's ideas and sense of imagery. At the height of his proficiency, Fischer gave Ingmar Bergman the faces that represent the beginning of the more intensive part of Bergman's international acclaim."

In 1970, Gunnar Fischer finished working at SF and moved on to Sveriges Television where at the end of his active career he was responsible for cinematography in the TV series Din stund på jorden (1973) and Raskens (1976). One of his last film assignments was Jacques Tati's Parade (1974) where he collaborated with his son Jens, one of the most distinguished Swedish cinematographers of the 1990's and 2000's.  Fisher's sons Jens and Peter (also a cinematographer) played Eva Dahlbeck and Gunnar Björnstrand's young sons in Waiting Women.

In addition to his career as cinematographer Gunnar Fischer directed short films, wrote screenplays (1933-41) and published books for children.

Fischer was married to Gull Söderblom, sister of the popular actor Åke Söderblom.

References 

Myggans Nöjeslexikon
Nationalencyklopedin

Cooperation with Ingmar Bergman

Credits