Feature Film, 1957

The Minister of Uddarbo

Directed by Kenne Fant (Ingmar Bergman's input into the screenplay was anonymous).
"You could have filmed a corrugated tin roof here in Stockholm. You don't need to travel to Dalarna for that."
Ingmar Bergman

About the film

In an article by Torsten Jungstedt for the Swedish radio and television magazine Röster i Radio/TV (no. 21, 1976) Kenne Fant talks about preparing the screenplay for The Minister of Uddarbo:

Rune Lindström and I wrote the screenplay in consultation with Axel Hambræus. But it was very important that Ingmar Bergman's contribution should be anonymous. He read the (original) novel, ran through my screenplay and remarked ironically: 'You could have filmed a corrugated tin roof here in Stockholm. You don't need to travel to Dalarna for that.'
What Ingmar meant was that I had stripped away the setting from the scene and concentrated only on close-ups, because that was my thing at the time. I felt rather ashamed and started to put back some of the distance shots into to screenplay. Ingmar was amazingly helpful when it came to other directors, and he would give up much of his spare time for things that he neither got paid for nor learnt from', Fant adds.

Sources

  • The Ingmar Bergman Archives.
  • Torsten Jungstedt, Röster i Radio/TV, no. 21, 1976.

Collaborators

  • Börje Lindqvist
  • Max von Sydow, Gustaf Ömark
  • Anders Henrikson, Teodor, vicar
  • Ann-Marie Gyllenspetz, Hanna, Teodor's niece
  • Holger Löwenadler, Alsing, director
  • Georg Rydeberg, Naaman, reader
  • Erik Strandmark, Ris Erik Eriksson, chairman of the board of education and the municipal executive board
  • Tord Stål, Bishop in Västerås
  • Olof Thunberg, Per Halvarsson, verger
  • Maud Elfsiö, Inger
  • Björn Berglund, Chairman of the freechurch district
  • Georg Adelly, Shop assistant
  • Svenerik Perzon, Rutger, man in boat
  • Artur Cederborgh, Farmer
  • Bengt Sundmark, Worker in Uppsala
  • Claes Thelander, Doctor in Uppsala
  • Yngve Nordwall, Lecturer
  • Oscar Rundblom, Dean
  • Gunnar Öhlund, Man in lumbermen's barracks
  • Aurore Palmgren, The old vicar's wife
  • Ingvar Kjellson, Doctor in Uddarbo
  • Gudrun Brost, Albertina, known as Gäs-Fröken
  • John Norrman, Johannes
  • Ingmar Lind, Göte
  • Elsa Ebbesen-Thornblad, Amalia Larsson, teacher
  • Brita Öberg, Woman at christening
  • Bibi Lindström, Art Director
  • Sven Brodin, First Assistant Cameraman
  • Max Wilén, Director of Photography
  • Lennart Landheim, Unit Manager
  • Gunnar Lundin, Unit Manager
  • Carl-Olov Skeppstedt, Film Editor
  • Nils Skeppstedt, Production Mixer
  • Rune Lindström, Screenplay
  • Ingvar Wieslander, Music Composer
  • Sven Sköld , Music Composer
  • Gösta Hammarbäck, Production Manager / Production Coordinator
  • Kenne Fant, Director
  • Ingrid Wallin, Script Supervisor
  • Eric Whiten, Make-up Supervisor
  • Ingmar Bergman, Advisor