Masters
In Transit
Albert Maysles, Lynn True, Nelson Walker, Ben Wu, David Usui Direct Cinema pioneer Albert Maysles died in March 2015 at 88. He and his brother David, who predeceased him, left a treasure trove of iconic documentaries such as Gimme Shelter (1970), Salesman (1968) and most recently Iris, which screened at IDFA in 2014. In Transit is the final addition to Maysles’s rich filmography. A collective of five directors filmed passengers onboard the much-used Empire Builder train that connects Chicago to Seattle. The makers employed small cameras and inconspicuous sound equipment and relied on natural lighting. This results in snippets of accidentally overheard conversation, in-depth interviews with passengers and wordless observations. Maysles and the others paint a loving, almost timeless picture of America. Children play in the carriages, the conductor reminisces about his youth in a village along the railway and an extremely pregnant woman hopes she won’t give birth onboard. Spending days on the train creates a temporary, mini-society. It’s the perfect place for revelations and reflection. Outside, the endless prairies, majestic mountains, snow-covered oil fields and cities glide by. Inside, everyone is in transit: on their way to new jobs, lovers, insights and lives.
USA, 2015 DCP, color, 76 min
Albert Maysles:
Director: Albert Maysles, Lynn True, Nelson Walker, Ben Wu, David Usui Cinematography: Albert Maysles, David Usui, Nelson Walker, Ben Wu Editing: Lynn True Sound Design: Ruy Garcia Production: Erika Dilday for Maysles Documentary Center, Lynn True & Nelson Walker for True Walker Productions Screening Copy: Maysles Documentary Center Website: www.intransitfilm.com
Albert Maysles & David Maysles:
Psychiatry in Russia (1955), Russian Close Up (1957), Iris (2014) a.o.
Anastasia (1962), Showman (1963), Orson Welles in Spain (1963), What’s Happening (1964), IBM – A Self Portrait (1964), Cut Piece (1965)
Albert Maysles, David Maysles & Charlotte Zwerin: Salesman (1968), Gimme Shelter (1970) a.o.
Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Ellen Hovde & Muffie Meyer: Grey Gardens (1976) a.o.
www.mayslesfilms.com
Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words Jag är Ingrid Stig Björkman
Ingrid Bergman took film more seriously than she did life, a fact that becomes apparent in this intimate portrait of her. Using home movies, diaries and letters, Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words sketches the personal and professional life of this great actress and long-distance mother. According to her own diary, if she isn’t filming, she’s only living half a life. Her four children explain that they often didn’t get to see much of her when she was on the set for an extended period of time or off in a foreign country with a new love. Years later, Bergman described herself as more of a friend than a mother to them. Her unorthodox ideas about family life garnered her considerable criticism in the media. Her relationship with Italian director Roberto Rossellini caused a huge scandal because it caused her to leave her daughter Pia behind in the United States—Bergman informed the teenager of her plans in a heartbreaking letter. Pia justifies her mother’s great love for the camera with the fact that young Ingrid’s own father filmed her frequently and fondly; later, Bergman hoped to find love through the camera. After his untimely death she led a sad and lonely existence that was only rendered tolerable by creating characters that would talk back to her. This is how Ingrid Bergman explains her exceptional film career.
112
Sweden, 2015 DCP, color / black-and-white, 114 min Director: Stig Björkman Cinematography: Malin Korkeasalo, Eva Dahlgren Screenplay: Stig Björkman, Stina Gardell, Dominika Daubenbüchel Editing: Dominika Daubenbüchel Sound: Mario Adamson Music: Michael Nyman Production: Stina Gardell for Mantaray Film World Sales: TrustNordisk Screening Copy: Swedish Film Institute Involved TV Channel: SVT
Stig Bjorkman:
I Love, You Love (fiction, 1968), Georgia, Georgia (fiction, 1972), Den vita väggen (fiction, 1975), Gå på vattnet om du kan (fiction, 1979), Kvindesind/Elva timmar i en kvinnas liv (fiction, 1980), Bakom jalusin (fiction, 1984), Imorron och imorron och imorron (1989), Alla våra morgondagar (1994), I Am Curious, Film (1995), Tranceformer – A Portrait of Lars von Trier (1997), Images from the Playground (2009), ...But Film Is My Mistress (2010), Fanny, Alexander and Me (2013)