Ingmar Bergman

Ernst Ingmar Bergman (Swedish: Ernst Ingmar Bergman, July 14, 1918 - July 30, 2007) was a Swedish director and screenwriter. Born into a family of Lutheran preachers, his most famous works include "The Seventh Seal" (1957) and "Wild Strawberries" (1957), "Persona" (1966), "Cries and Whispers" (1972) and "Fanny and Alexander" (1982). In his exploration of the human condition, Bergman discovered melancholy and despair, but also comedy and hope. In addition to directing, Bergman also wrote the screenplays for most of his films. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential directors of modern cinema. He has directed 62 films, most of which he wrote himself, and has directed more than 170 plays. Among his favorite internationally renowned actors are Liv Ullmann and Max von Sydow. Most of his films were shot in his native Sweden, and their themes are often grim, dealing with pain and madness. Bergmann was active for more than 60 years, but his career suffered a serious setback in 1976, when he was accused of income tax evasion. After a botched criminal investigation, he terminated a series of pending productions, closed his studio, and went into self-imposed exile in Germany for eight years.