The Honolulu Museum of Art will screen 'The Ingmar Bergman Essentials' from August 6 to 30, 2026, presenting six films by the Swedish director at the Doris Duke Theatre. The program centers on works the museum describes as Bergman’s most essential: 'Persona,' 'Cries and Whispers,' 'The Seventh Seal,' 'Wild Strawberries,' 'Autumn Sonata,' and 'Fanny and Alexander' in its television version.
HoMA says Ingmar Bergman is widely considered one of the most influential filmmakers in cinema history, with a prolific career spanning six decades and more than 60 films. The museum’s announcement frames the series as an opportunity to revisit key works on the big screen, emphasizing the theatrical scale of films that have long circulated as touchstones for filmmakers and artists. The museum also notes Bergman’s broader cultural reach, including the fact that his image appears on Sweden’s 200-krona banknote.
The series arrives alongside a curator’s account of how the selection was made. In a museum story published July 31, 2026, Doris Duke Theatre projectionist Zachary Hetzler wrote that the programming team had recently highlighted Jafar Panahi, Andrei Tarkovsky and Edward Yang in similar retrospective formats. He described 'The Seventh Seal' as the first Bergman film he saw and identified it as a defining starting point for the series. He also pointed to Bergman’s background as a playwright and stage director, noting the director’s long career in both theatre and film.
The program spans Bergman’s stylistic range. HoMA describes 'Persona' as the story of a nurse caring for a mute actress whose identities begin to merge on a secluded island. 'Cries and Whispers' follows a woman dying of cancer in early 20th-century Sweden and her sisters’ visit. 'The Seventh Seal' features a knight who encounters Death on a beach and challenges him to a chess game, while 'Wild Strawberries' follows Professor Isak Borg on a trip to accept an honorary degree, during which memories and dreams force reflection on his past.
'Autumn Sonata' brings together an estranged pianist and her resentful daughter in a tense reunion, and 'Fanny and Alexander' offers the television version of Bergman’s later work, seen through the eyes of ten-year-old Alexander and the conflicts of the Ekdahl family. According to the museum’s curator’s view, the latter will be shown in its full 312-minute version, with two ten-minute intermissions. That screening is scheduled for 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on August 9 and August 27.
HoMA has also listed repeated screenings across the run for each title at the Doris Duke Theatre, including afternoon and evening slots throughout the month. 'Persona' is scheduled for August 6, August 22 and August 28; 'Cries and Whispers' and 'The Seventh Seal' run on August 7, August 20, August 23, August 29 and other dates; 'Wild Strawberries' and 'Autumn Sonata' appear on August 8, August 21, August 28 and August 30. The museum’s pages present the series as part of its ongoing film offerings at the theatre, with tickets available for each screening.
