Considering Ingmar Bergman‘s immense creative output when it comes to theatrical features from the mid 1940s to the early 1980s, many have lamented what could have been in the 25 years between what’s technically his last film, Fanny & Alexander, and his death in 2007. During that span of time, he worked a number of television productions (some of which hit theaters in various countries), but he would never again helm an official theatrical feature. We’ll soon get a chance to see what might have been, for one of his unused scripts is being turned into a feature film.
Set to be directed by Sweden’s Suzanne Osten (The Mozart Brothers), Sixty-four minutes with Rebecka is a script from 1969 that Bergman wrote for a potential collaboration between two other cinematic titans, Federico Fellini and Akira Kurosawa. Before plans fell through, Bergman’s original intent was to film the script — described as “feminist, queer, homo erotic and anti-authoritarian,” as well as “incredibly courageous, complex and radical” — in English with the title The White Wall, but it was shelved and donated as part of his collection to the Ingmar Bergman Foundation in the early 2000s.
“It’s a script about a woman exploring her sexuality, it’s all about conquering, discovering and to help oneself to what’s offered,” Osten tells Dagens Nyheter (via Reuters) about the film, which centers on a “pregnant and emotionally alienated teacher of the deafmute.” She adds, “It’s not ‘nice,’ but it’s a different image compared to romantic love without the compound, complex sexuality, which started being discussed at this time.” The plan is to have it premiere as a radio play early next month, on November 6th, then begin shooting the film for a 2018 release, perfectly timed for what would have been Bergman’s 100th birthday.
As we await more details, check out Bergman’s favorite films and a documentary about his life and career.