Daniel

Episode of STIMULANTIA | Episode aus STIMULANTIA
On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the founding of Svensk Filmindustri in the year 1964, eight leading filmmakers, including Gustaf Molander, Jörn Donner, Vilgot Sjöman and Ingmar Bergman, were invited to contribute a short film to an episode film about what they found stimulating in life.

For Bergman the face of his son Daniel Sebastian, born in 1962, was the most stimulating, as he relates at the beginning of the short film DANIEL. Here he pieces together his own home movies, which he shot with a 16-mm camera. They show Daniel from birth to age two as well as Daniel’s mother, Bergman’s fourth wife, the pianist Käbi Laretei, who also accompanies the colour film material on the piano. Daniel after the bath, Daniel with the bottle, Daniel taking his first steps, Daniel combing his hair – all shot by the shaky hand of the great director, often in unfavourable lighting conditions.

By the time the episode film was finally released in 1967, Bergman was living with Liv Ullmann, and they already had their baby girl Linn. Daniel Bergman later became the successful director of SUNDAY’S CHILDREN (1992), based on his father’s screenplay, and other films.
by Ingmar Bergman
with Ingmar Bergman, Käbi Laretei, Daniel Sebastian Bergman
Sweden 1964-67 11’