Media gallery for
Wild Strawberries

"Have you looked in the mirror, Isak? You’re a anxious old man who’s soon going to die."

Isak (Victor Sjöström): ’ It's possible that I became a bit sentimental. Perhaps I was a bit tired and felt a trifle melancholy. It's not inconceivable that I came to think of a thing or two associated with the places where we played as children. I don't know how it happened, but the day's clear reality flowed into dreamlike images. I don't even know if it was a dream, or memories which arose with the force of real events.’

Road map from the Swedish film program for Wild Strawberries. The film has sometimes been called "the ur-road movie" by critics. A film that movies such as Easy Rider (Dennis Hopper, 1969) owe an implicit debt to.

Danish film program.

" [...] supposing I make a film of someone coming along, perfectly realistic, and suddenly opening a door and walking into his childhood, and then opening another door and then walking out into the reality, and then walking round the corner of the street and coming into some other period in his life, and everything still alive and going on as before."

Borg’s (Victor Sjöström) car picks up two more passengers, Mr. and Mrs. Alman (Gunnar Sjöberg and Gunnel Broström), who quarrel from the very first moment. He is ruthlessly ironic, she is despairing. After he calls her hysterical, and she starts beating him, Marianne (Ingrid Thulin) asks them to leave the car.

Bergman, Eva Möller (Anna Borg), and Gertrud Fridh (Isak’s wife Karin) during the filming of Wild Strawberries.

Gunnel Broström (Berit Alman) and Bergman during the filming of Wild Strawberries.

A sunny day during the filming of Wild Strawberries.

Sjöström’s (Isak Borg) presence on the set was a source of entertainment and cinema history education for the film team. In Bergman’s words: ’ Victor Sjöström was an excellent storyteller, funny and engaging - especially if some young, beautiful woman happened to be present. We were sitting at the very source of film history, both Swedish and American.’

Wild Strawberries remains Bergman's most successful film, seen to the number of awards received. Sjöström (Isak Borg) performance was recognized with several international awards.

The legendary Victor Sjöström (Isak Borg) had already seven years earlier worked with Bergman when he played orchestra leader Söderby in To Joy.

In the car, Marianne (Ingrid Thulin) starts talking about the 5 000 Swedish kronor that Evald (Gunnar Björnstrand), her husband, each year repays to his father. You don’t need the money, she says. What said is said, Borg replies. Evald respects me. He also hates you, she says, and then reminds him of what he said when she came to live with him a month ago: ’Don’t drag me into your marital calamities.’ She says she feels sorry for her father in law.

The bitter meeting between Isak Borg (Victor Sjöström) and his son Evald (Gunnar Björnstrand) is yet another in the line of Bergman’s many confrontations between a younger and an older version of the same person, here presented as a dialogue.

Arriving in Lund Borg (Victor Sjöström) installs himself at Evald’s (Gunnar Björnstrand) home. Marianne (Ingrid Thulin) informs Evald that she intends to leave the following day.

During the car journey, Isak (Victor Sjöström) stops to visit his mother. Borg’s mother (Naima Wifstrand) talks about children and grandchildren. She shows him old toys and her husband’s gold watch that has lost its hands.

Isak’s father (Ulf Johanson), aunt Olga (Sif Ruud) and Angelica Borg (Maud Hansson).

Sigfrid Borg (Per Sjöstrand) and Sara Borg (Bibi Andersson) in Wild Strawberries.

Isak (Victor Sjöström) is called to examination by Sten Alman (Gunnar Sjöberg) who after various tests writes ''Incompetent!'' in the examination book.

Sara (Bibi Andersson): ’ We've got a ride almost all the way to Italy. This is Anders. And that's Viktor, Vic for short. And this is father Isak. The looker you're ogling like crazy is Marianne.’

Workbook no 52 includes script drafts and thoughts about Wild Strawberries. Dated April 5th, 57 – April 22th, 57.

First page of Bergman’s shooting script.

Almost all of Bergman’s shooting scripts starts with a couple of handwritten pages. These can include everything from diary notes to directions.

Handwritten cast list for Wild Strawberries.