Ingmar Bergman's 'Cries and Whispers' (1972)
Her Head in FilmsJuly 01, 202501:29:37

Ingmar Bergman's 'Cries and Whispers' (1972)

In this episode, I talk about Ingmar Bergman’s 1972 film, "Cries and Whispers," a haunting and intimate portrait of a woman dying and the people around her. I begin by sharing about my own mother’s death, how I was with her to the very end, and how this film has taken on a deeper resonance for me now.


Though the episode was recorded before her cancer diagnosis and passing, I was already in the role of caregiver. I reflect on how "Cries and Whispers" captures the loneliness of illness, the coldness we sometimes encounter in the world, and the deep human need for tenderness, love, and presence, especially in the face of pain, death, and the deterioration of the body.


Sources:

• Images by Ingmar Bergman (https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/arcade-publishing/9781628727012/images/)
• Ingmar Bergman website (https://www.ingmarbergman.se/en/production/cries-and-whispers)

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