Media gallery for
Face to Face

Sven Nykvist’s place in Bergman’s universe was not limited to his impressive collaboration with Bergman. Among other things, Nykvist photographed Liv Ullmann’s Kristin Lavransdatter (1995) and Private Confessions (1996), as well as Erland Josephson’s and Max von Sydow’s directorial debuts. Nykvist has also directed his own feature films, most notably the Oscar-nominated The Ox (1991), featuring, among others, Max von Sydow and Liv Ullmann.

In Images, Bergman writes that the film should have been a ’sacrosanct cinematografic piece of poetry. To me, this isn’t a sequel of Cries and Whispers. It’s far past Cries and Whispers. Here, finally, all forms of narrative are dissolved.’

Bergman and two of his most loyal co-workers, Liv Ullmann (Jenny Isaksson) and Erland Josephson (Tomas Jacobi), on set. This was the sixth time Josephson and Ullmann acted opposite each other in a Bergman film.

Bergman, Erland Josephson (Tomas Jacobi), Liv Ullmann (Jenny Isaksson) and Sven Nykvist during the filming of Face to Face.

Erland Josephson (Tomas Jacobi), Bergman and Liv Ullmann (Jenny Isaksson) on set.

Aino Taube (Jenny Isaksson’s grandmother) had previously had small supporting roles in Last Couple Out, Waiting Women and The Touch.

Although Bergman would later express his dissatisfaction with the film, the film shoot was a pleasant experience.

Jenny (Liv Ullmann) and her psychiatrist colleague Helmuth Wankel (Ulf Johansson).

From Workbook no 29: ’But behind all this, behind the drapes, a whispered conversation is carried on about what ought to be done with her sexually, perhaps a widening of her anal opening. And at the same moment She appears, the Other, who takes such thing lightly and caresses her in all sorts of ways. It is unexpectedly pleasant. But now somebody arrives and asks for her help, really pleads with her, somebody in a desperate situation. She throws a tantrum, followed by an anxiety attack, because the tension is not lessening.’

Jenny Isaksson (Liv Ullmann) and her grandparents (Aino Taube and Gunnar Björnstrand).

Gösta Ekman is breifly glimpsed in Face to Face in the role of the actor Mikael Strömberg.

After the film was completed, Bergman in Images, couldn’t help but note that: ’I wander around in what I warn about in the preface of the script, a landscape of clichés.

Jenny Isaksson (Liv Ullmann) and Tomas Jacobi (Erland Josephson).

Liv Ullmann and Erland Josephson in Face to Face.

The shooting script of Face to Face is adorned with Bergman’s home address at the time, Karlaplan 10, Stockholm.

Sketch of Jenny Isaksson's flat in Bergman's shooting script.

Workbook no 29 contains script drafts of Face to Face.