Bergman Island is a 2021 romantic drama film written and directed by Mia Hansen-Løve.[1] Starring Vicky Krieps and Tim Roth as a married couple of filmmakers who retreat to the Swedish island of Fårö—long associated with Ingmar Bergman—to work on their screenplays, the film explores the blurring lines between reality and fiction in their creative and personal lives.[2] It also features Mia Wasikowska and Anders Danielsen Lie.[1]The film had its world premiere in the In Competition section at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival on 12 July 2021,[3] and was released theatrically in France on 14 July 2021 by Les Films du Losange.[4]
Background and Inspiration
Ingmar Bergman's Connection to Fårö
Ingmar Bergman first visited the island of Fårö in April 1960 while scouting locations for his film Through a Glass Darkly (1961), initially considering more distant sites like the Orkney Islands but ultimately captivated by Fårö's stark, windswept terrain.[5] The island, a 113 km² landmass in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Gotland, Sweden, features dramatic raukar—residual limestone sea stacks formed by erosion over millennia, creating an otherworldly landscape of jagged pillars and coastal cliffs that Bergman described as both isolating and inspiring for his introspective storytelling.[6] This remoteness, accessible only by ferry and far from mainland distractions, appealed to Bergman's desire for a secluded creative haven, prompting him to purchase land there in 1966 and begin developing properties that would become central to his life and work.[7][8]Over the following decades, Bergman expanded his holdings into a multifaceted estate comprising multiple buildings tailored for living, working, and hosting collaborators. He moved into his initial residence, known as Hammars—a single-story, 57-meter-long structure blending seamlessly with the surrounding pine groves and offering panoramic views of the rocky shoreline and sea—in 1967 after its construction.[9] By the mid-1970s, expansions included additional guesthouses, a private cinema, and workspaces that facilitated his dual careers in film and theater.[10] These developments transformed the site into a self-contained retreat where Bergman could entertain actors, writers, and musicians, fostering the intimate collaborations that defined much of his oeuvre, all while embracing Fårö's solitude to deepen his exploration of human psyche and existential themes.[11]Fårö served as the primary filming location for several of Bergman's most acclaimed works, leveraging its austere beauty to amplify psychological tension and isolation. Beginning with Through a Glass Darkly (1961), he shot key scenes amid the island's barren fields and shores; this was followed by Persona (1966), Hour of the Wolf (1968), Shame (1968), The Passion of Anna (1969), and the miniseries Scenes from a Marriage (1973), each utilizing Fårö's raukar-dotted coasts and sparse interiors to mirror characters' inner turmoil.[5] Bergman also produced documentaries Fårö (1969) and Fårö Document (1970) to capture the island's essence, further embedding its geography into his cinematic vision.Bergman spent over 40 years on Fårö, retiring there permanently in 2003, and he died at his home on July 30, 2007, at the age of 89.[12] In his will, he stipulated that the estate be preserved as a resource for artists, leading to the establishment of the Bergman Estate, which now offers residencies in his former homes to support creative endeavors.[8] Complementing this, the Ingmar Bergman Center, a museum and cultural hub dedicated to his legacy, opened in 2009 near FåröChurch in the locality of Dämba, hosting exhibitions, screenings, and the annual Bergman Week festival to honor his contributions.[13] This enduring infrastructure underscores Fårö's transformation into a pilgrimage site for cinema enthusiasts, with the island's setting in the 2021 film Bergman Island serving as a brief homage to his profound influence.[10]
Mia Hansen-Løve's Vision
Mia Hansen-Løve's fascination with Fårö, the Swedish island long associated with Ingmar Bergman's life and work, began with her first visit there in 2014, where she spent a few days immersing herself in its landscapes to test the viability of her film concept.[14] This initial trip, followed by an extended stay of several months to develop the screenplay, deepened her connection to the island's isolating yet inspiring atmosphere, which she described as a "paradise lost" amid her urban life in Paris.[15] Drawing briefly from Bergman's own residency on Fårö as a foundational creative retreat, Hansen-Løve envisioned the location not as a direct tribute but as a haunting backdrop that amplified her exploration of artistic legacy.[16]The screenplay for Bergman Island emerged from a prolonged development process, with Hansen-Løve writing a draft in 2016 after years of conceptualizing a story about filmmakers grappling with creation and intimacy. She infused it with autobiographical elements, particularly reflections on her past relationship with director Olivier Assayas, transforming personal experiences of partnership and parenthood into a fictional narrative centered on a screenwriting couple isolated on Fårö.[17] This blending allowed her to probe the interplay between reality and fiction, portraying the creative process as a fluid, often painful oscillation where personal doubts fuel artistic invention. Hansen-Løve's thematic intentions emphasized female perspectives in filmmaking, highlighting the internal struggles of a womanartist navigating inspiration amid relational tensions, without overt homage to Bergman but with his pervasive influence evoking a sense of inherited creative burden.[18]To realize this vision, Hansen-Løve conducted extensive research, including visits to the Bergman Estate and interviews with some of the director's former collaborators, which informed her authentic depiction of Fårö's creative aura.[15] She incorporated real locations such as Bergman's house and the dramatic raukar formations at Langhammars, using them to mirror the characters' psychological isolation and epiphanies. The film's bilingual dialogue in English and French underscored its international influences, reflecting Hansen-Løve's own multicultural lens on global cinema. Principal photography spanned two summers, with the second half completed in 2019 to harness Fårö's long daylight hours and stark natural light, enhancing the sense of temporal suspension central to her meta-exploration of inspiration.[19]
Plot
Bergman Island follows a couple of filmmakers, Chris and Tony, who travel to Fårö, the Swedish island where their idol Ingmar Bergman once lived and worked, for an artist residency. While Tony draws inspiration from the location to complete his latest screenplay, Chris struggles with her own project. She begins telling Tony about a story she is developing, centered on a young woman named Amy who arrives on the island to attend a wedding and reconnects with a past love, Joseph. As Chris narrates her tale, the film transitions into Amy's narrative, blurring the boundaries between reality and fiction, and exploring themes of creativity, memory, and relationships.[20][21]
Mia Hansen-Løve's screenplay for Bergman Island emerged from her initial visit to Fårö in 2014, where she explored the island's connection to Ingmar Bergman as a potential setting for a story about filmmakers grappling with creativity and relationships. She developed an outline in Paris before returning to Fårö for an extended stay two years later, during which much of the script took shape, incorporating the island's atmosphere into the narrative. By 2016, the screenplay was written, with pre-production beginning in 2017; revisions continued over the following years, transforming the concept from a straightforward tale of artistic inspiration into a nested structure featuring a film-within-a-film to blur lines between reality and fiction. The script was finalized by 2018, allowing principal photography to commence that summer.[15]Producers attached early included Charles Gillibert of CG Cinéma, who initiated funding in 2017, alongside Rodrigo Teixeira of RT Features; co-producers from Scope Pictures, Plattform Produktion (Erik Hemmendorff and Lisa Widén), Neue Bioskop Film, and Piano joined to facilitate the international collaboration.[23][24]The film's €6 million budget was supported by a multinational funding structure, including €293,561 from Eurimages in March 2018, as well as contributions from French, German, Belgian, and Swedish entities such as the CNC and the Swedish Film Institute through co-production incentives.[25][26][27]Longtime collaborator Marion Monnier, serving as editor, provided crucial input on the narrative structure during revisions, helping refine the meta layers while maintaining emotional intimacy. The production team also consulted with the Bergman Estate on Fårö—a foundation managing Bergman's properties—for permissions to access and film at key sites, ensuring respectful integration of the location without commercial exploitation.[21][28]Development faced challenges in calibrating the meta-narrative to pay homage to Bergman's legacy rather than veer into parody, particularly as Hansen-Løve drew from personal experiences in her vision of artistic couples. Securing filming permits on Fårö proved complex amid the summer tourist season, when the island's population swells and access to sensitive Bergman-related sites is restricted to preserve their cultural integrity. Initial title ideas emphasized the island's inspirational role, evolving to Bergman Island to directly evoke its historical significance.[15][6]
Filming
Principal photography for Bergman Island took place over two summers, in 2018 and 2019, with the production spanning approximately six weeks in the first year and four weeks in the second to capture the island's distinctive summer light and landscapes. The split schedule resulted from a casting change: originally, Greta Gerwig and John Turturro were set to star as the lead couple, but Gerwig left to direct Little Women, leading to their replacement by Vicky Krieps and Tim Roth, which required reshoots of key scenes in 2019.[29][30] The shoot was primarily conducted on Fårö, allowing the filmmakers to immerse in the location's natural beauty and historical significance to Ingmar Bergman.[19]Key filming locations included the Bergman Estate at Dämba, where interiors and exteriors of Bergman's former home, windmill, and private cinema were used; the dramatic limestone formations at Langhammars raukar for romantic sequences; and Dämba beach for pivotal emotional scenes. Supplementary shots were captured across Gotland, though the vast majority—nearly 100%—of the film was shot on Fårö itself.[19][31] Non-professional local residents served as extras to enhance the authentic island atmosphere.[19]Cinematographer Denis Lenoir employed an Arricam LT camera with Leitz Summilux-C and Fujinon Premier lenses, shooting on 35mm film in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio to achieve a naturalistic widescreen look that echoed Bergman's own aesthetic while embracing the island's expansive vistas.[32] The production faced logistical challenges from Fårö's remote isolation, which complicated crew transport and equipment setup, as well as variable weather conditions including wind and shifting light that required adaptive lighting techniques like ND filters for interiors.[31][33]On set, director Mia Hansen-Løve incorporated improvisational elements during rehearsals, allowing actors to organically develop blocking and dialogue for the central couple's interactions, fostering a sense of intimacy reflective of the film's themes. The cast's immersion in Fårö's environment was deepened by rehearsals on location, contributing to the performances' emotional authenticity. Although filming wrapped in 2019, post-production was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, pushing the film's completion into 2021.[19][34]
Release
Premiere and Festivals
Bergman Island had its world premiere at the 74th Cannes Film Festival on July 11, 2021, in Competition.[35] The screening received a standing ovation from audiences, highlighting early enthusiasm for the film.[36]The film continued its festival circuit with the U.S. premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in September 2021, followed by screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival later that month, the New York Film Festival in late September, and over 20 additional festivals through 2022, including the San Sebastián International Film Festival.[37][38][39]Director Mia Hansen-Løve participated in press tours at these events, often emphasizing the significance of Fårö island as both a filming location and a thematic element inspired by Ingmar Bergman's legacy.[40] Due to ongoing pandemic restrictions, many festival appearances included virtual Q&As to engage global audiences.
Distribution and Home Media
Bergman Island received a limited theatrical release in the United States through IFC Films on October 15, 2021, primarily in arthouse theaters.[23] In France, the film opened wider on July 14, 2021, distributed by Les Films du Losange, marking its European rollout alongside releases in other markets such as Germany on November 4, 2021, via Weltkino Filmverleih, and Sweden on October 1, 2021, by TriArt Film.[41][42]The film expanded internationally, reaching numerous countries across Europe, North America, and Latin America by 2022.[43] Streaming availability began in 2022 on platforms including MUBI and Hulu, broadening access beyond initial theatrical runs.[44]At the box office, Bergman Island grossed approximately $1.05 million worldwide against a reported budget of €6 million, with its strongest performance in France at $443,000, followed by more modest earnings in the U.S. ($145,000) during limited arthouse engagements.[43][1]Home media options include a Blu-ray and DVD release from the Criterion Collection on January 31, 2023, featuring a 2K digital master approved by director Mia Hansen-Løve, along with special features such as interviews with Hansen-Løve and cinematographer Denis Lenoir.[45] As of 2025, the film remains available for streaming on Max and Kanopy, with no major re-releases but occasional inclusions in retrospectives of Hansen-Løve's work.[46]
Reception
Critical Response
Bergman Island received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its atmospheric cinematography and introspective tone exploring the creative process. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 84% approval rating based on 164 reviews, with an average score of 7.1/10.[2] It also earned a Metascore of 80 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable" reception from 32 critics.[47]Critics frequently highlighted the film's evocative use of Fårö island and standout performances, particularly Vicky Krieps's nuanced portrayal of Chris, a filmmaker grappling with personal and artistic tensions. In The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw awarded it four out of five stars, commending Krieps's "subtle and intriguing" work and the location's role in mirroring the characters' inner turmoil.[48] Variety's Owen Gleiberman described the meta-layering of creativity as a "cinephile shell game" executed with "disarmingly clever sincerity," avoiding pretension while delving into the blurred lines between life and art.[17]Some reviewers offered mixed assessments, noting the film's deliberate pacing and ambiguous resolution as potential drawbacks. IndieWire's David Ehrlich gave it a B grade, appreciating the self-reflexive structure but critiquing its slow tempo and questioning whether it fully transcends Ingmar Bergman's looming influence.[49] Debates emerged around the film's homage to Bergman, with some arguing it risks being overshadowed by his legacy despite its fresh perspective.Thematically, Bergman Island examines gender dynamics in filmmaking, portraying women's creative struggles amid domestic and professional demands, distinct from male auteurs like Bergman. It blurs realities through a nested narrative of a screenplay within the main story, reflecting on infidelity, inspiration, and emancipation.[18] This aligns with Mia Hansen-Løve's earlier works, such as Things to Come (2016), which similarly probes the interplay of personal loss and artistic renewal in a woman's life.[50] Audience reception was slightly more tempered, with an IMDb score of 6.6/10 from over 11,300 ratings.[1]
Accolades and Legacy
Bergman Island garnered several nominations at major film festivals and awards ceremonies following its premiere. The film was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed in the main selection and received praise for its introspective exploration of creativity and relationships.[17] It also earned a nomination for Best European Film at the 15th Gaudí Awards in 2023, recognizing its contributions to European cinema.[51] Additionally, Vicky Krieps' performance as the screenwriter Chris was highlighted in awards conversations, though the film did not secure major acting wins at that time.Beyond initial accolades, Bergman Island has been recognized in critics' polls and festival retrospectives. It was included in various year-end lists for 2021, reflecting its impact on discussions of arthouse filmmaking, though it did not top major surveys like the BFI Sight & Sound poll. In June 2025, IndieWire ranked the film at number 42 on its list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 2020s (So Far).") The film's meta-narrative approach to Ingmar Bergman's legacy has inspired academic analyses, particularly on its feminist lens toward women in cinema and creative labor. For instance, scholars have examined how it reimagines Bergman's island settings to address genderdynamics in artistic partnerships, aligning with post-#MeToo conversations on power imbalances in the industry.The film's cultural impact extends to renewed interest in Fårö, the Swedish island central to Bergman's life and work. Filmed on location, Bergman Island has contributed to the island's draw as a cinematic tourism destination, with its stark landscapes and Bergman sites attracting film enthusiasts. It has been screened at events like Bergman Week festivals on Fårö, fostering ongoing tributes to the director's influence. No major new awards have emerged post-2022, but Bergman Island maintains steady streaming popularity on platforms like MUBI, where it continues to engage audiences with its blend of romance and cinematic homage.[52] Mia Hansen-Løve has cited the film's reception as influencing her subsequent projects, such as One Fine Morning (2022), which similarly delves into personal and artistic introspection. Overall, the film has solidified Hansen-Løve's reputation for nuanced portraits of female creativity, contributing to dialogues on legacy and gender in European art cinema.