Nine Swedish films at Bologna archive film festival

Conrad Veidt in Gustaf Molander's The Ingmar Inheritance , which will have its new premiere in Bologna. Photo: AB Svensk Filmdustri.

There will be a strong Swedish presence at this year’s edition of Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna (June 22-30), the world’s most renowned festival for heritage films. In the section Gustaf Molander – the actresses’ director – eight films by the dean of Swedish filmmakers will be presented, among them the newly restored Selma Lagerlöf adaptation Ingmarsarvet / The Ingmar Inheritance (1925) starring Conrad Veidt, En kvinnas ansikte / A Woman’s Face (1938) which launched Ingrid Bergman to international stardom and Trots / Defiance (1952) with a young Harriet Andersson in the leading role.

Furthermore, the festival will also host the international première of the digital restoration of Mauritz Stiller’s classic Gösta Berlings saga (1924) with Greta Garbo, which will be screened with live musical accompaniment by Matti Bye.

– We are thrilled to present a selection of films by Gustaf Molander for an international audience, says Jon Wengström of the Swedish Film Institute, who has curated the programme. Molander deserves a greater reputation also outside Sweden, not least for his ability to bring out the best in his actors and actresses, disregarding if he made comedies, crime films or historical dramas.

– I’ve attended Il Cinema Ritrovato once before and seen classic films screened at the Piazza Maggiore together with thousands of other film-lovers. This time I’ll be there as the new CEO of the Swedish Film Institute to experience this unique festival, which gathers visitors from all over the world. I’m excited to see how Swedish film heritage, and the work we’ve done to preserve and restore the films, will be received, says Anna Croneman, CEO of the Swedish Film Institute.

Two of Victor Sjöström’s most famous Hollywood films will also be screened this year in Bologna, a rare 35mm print from the collections of Cinémathèque Suisse (Lausanne) of He Who Gets Slapped (1924) with Lon Chaney, and a new digital restoration from the Museum of Modern Art (New York) of The Wind (1928), starring Lilian Gish and Lars Hanson.

For more information, please contact Jon Wengström, senior curator jon.wengstrom@filminstitutet.se

or +46 8 665 11 24 

or Kajsa Hedström, Project Manager and Curator kajsa.hedstrom@filminstitutet.se

or +46 8 665 11 22