Fårö Document 1979

Midway through his time in Germany, Bergman returned to Fårö for his second documentary exploration of the remote Swedish island he loved and the socio­economic realities experienced by those who lived there. Longer, more optimistic, and less ascetic than its predecessor, this film charts a calendar year in the life of the island’s 673 inhabitants, many of whom he observes working tirelessly shearing sheep, thatching roofs, and slaughtering livestock, as well as going about various communal rituals. Distilled from twenty-eight hours of material, Fårö Document (1979) is a lyrical depiction of life’s cyclical nature. (Criterion)