What is it about an Ingmar Berman retrospective that says “autumn”? Sure, there’s Autumn Sonata (a humdinger with Liv Ullmann and Ingrid Bergman in her final role), but the cinematic giant also made Winter Light, The Virgin Spring, and Smiles of a Summer Night (not to mention Summer Interlude)—all of which will be screened, along with a dozen more of the Swede’s best works. Bergman dwelled on the kind of big questions surrounding love, death, faith, sanity, and reality that would swamp lesser artists in a morass of pomposity or incoherence. Time and again (that’s another thing, filmmakers just don’t crank ’em out at this rate anymore), he delivered deep films distinguished by an essential simplicity and honesty. Maybe that’s why this series seems timely: If the best movies offer nourishing food for thought, then this is a harvest feast to fatten you up for the long cold winter ahead. 612-331-3134; www.mnfilmarts.org
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