Persona

  • Tuesday June 28, 2016 7:00 PM

June 28 – Persona, 1966

For its evident contemplation of a singular phenomenon of transfer of personality . . . [Persona] is rich in poetic intimations of subconscious longings and despairs, and it is likely to move one more deeply as poetry than as thought.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times, March 7, 1967

Independent curator Andria Hickey, who spoke on curating in the public realm and its relationship to contemporary sculpture for Tuesday Evenings last fall, has recommended the classic Swedish psychological drama Persona for Tuesday Evenings: Films. Persona, directed by Ingmar Bergman and released in 1966, is considered a major film of the twentieth century and Bergman’s masterpiece, having been referred to by critics as one of the century’s great works of art. Shot and set in Sweden, this black-and-white film, which deals with themes of illness, bleakness, insanity, and death, showcases Bergman and cinematographer Sven Nykvist’s signature minimalism. Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann play characters whose personalities, due to mysterious circumstances, are transferred to one another and as distinctions fade the plot deepens and anxiety grows.

This film is considered a classic for good reason. It speaks to filmmaking while telling what has become a highly influential film story. Upon revisiting Persona in 2001, critic Roger Ebert wrote, “The opening sequence suggests that Persona is starting at the beginning, with the birth of cinema. The break in the middle shows it turning back and beginning again. At the end, the film runs out of the camera and the light dies from the lamp and the film is over. Bergman is showing us that he has returned to first principles.”
(83 min. Swedish with English subtitles)

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Tuesday Evenings at the Modern: Films is an extension of the very popular lecture series Tuesday Evenings at the Modern, which is offered 10 weeks in the spring and fall of each year, this film-based weekly program runs through the summer months and strives to continue the consideration of ideas and issues pertaining to the art and architecture of the Modern and to contemporary art in general.   
 
Selections for screenings are related to or recommended by artists and speakers who have participated in the lecture series or are otherwise affiliated with the museum. There is nothing particularly prescriptive about the line-up, but as with the lecture series, themes can be found and connections made. To create a full experience, these presentations include a brief introduction and opportunity for discussion following the films.  
 
Seating is available in the Modern’s auditorium at 6:30 pm, and the program begins at 7 pm. The museum’s galleries and Café Modern's bar service are open until 7 pm on Tuesdays, June 7 through July 26, 2016.

This program is free and open to the public. Up to two free tickets can be obtained at the admission desk beginning at 5 pm the day of the screening.