Söndagsbarn (1992)
English title: Sunday's Children.
Directed by Daniel Bergman, screenplay by Ingmar Bergman (Swedish)
Boy actor : Henrik Linnros

The Swedish master of bleak cinema, Ingmar Bergman, wrote this autobiographical screenplay about his boyhood, but let his son, Daniel Bergman, direct it. Perhaps for that reason, it ends up being more colourful and light than most of I. Bergman's work. But his trademark philosophical questioning about issues like death and "God's silence" is still felt. (One typically Bergmanesque dream sequence comes to mind, in which the young protagonist sees a hanged man swinging in mid air. The boy asks : "When will I die," to which the ghost answers: "Always!")

All existential angst aside, however, this is a beautiful and touching coming-of-age film that focusses on a young boy's difficult relationship with his father, a stern minister. Every once in a while, the narrative is interrupted by "flash forwards" where we see the now grown up protagonist visiting his ailing father, their relationship still awkward after all these years.

I guess the film is not so light after all! But a very enjoyable nonetheless and a definite must-see for fans of Bergman's work.

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It's a great movie Jasen but has only been released on VHS in the US as far as I know.