For more than 50 years, Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007) produced groundbreaking works of cinema that established him as one of the world’s most acclaimed, enduring and influential filmmakers. Ingmar Bergman: Volume 1, released by the BFI on 26 July 2021, is the first of a four-volume celebration of the auteur’s work – available on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK – and reflects on the opening stages of Bergman’s career.

Presented over five discs, this beautifully packaged box set features 2K restorations of eight early films (1944-1950) written or directed by Bergman, including initial partnerships with regular collaborators such as cinematographer Gunnar Fischer and actor Birger Malmsten. These early works exhibit his burgeoning talents, introducing themes and tones that he would continue to develop over the following five decades. The discs are packaged with a 100-page perfect bound book and  contain additional special features, details below. The films in Volume 1 are:

TORMENT (1944): Directed by Alf Sjöberg, Screenplay by Ingmar Bergman

CRISIS (1946): Directed by Ingmar Bergman, Screenplay by Ingmar Bergman

MUSIC IN DARKNESS (1948): Directed by Ingmar Bergman, Screenplay by Dagmar Edqvist

EVA (1948): Directed by Gustaf Molander, Screenplay by Ingmar Bergman

PORT OF CALL (1948): Directed by Ingmar Bergman, Screenplay by Ingmar Bergman

PRISON (1949): Directed by Ingmar Bergman, Screenplay by Ingmar Bergman

THIRST (1949): Directed by Ingmar Bergman, Screenplay by Herbert Grevenius

TO JOY (1950): Directed by Ingmar Bergman, Screenplay by Ingmar Bergman

Ingmar Bergman: Volume 1 will be released as a 5-disc Blu-ray box set by the BFI on 26 July 2021 at the RRP £59.99.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATUES:

• The Guardian Interview: Ingmar Bergman (1982, 62 mins, audio only): Ingmar Bergman pays tribute to Alf Sjöberg, the director of Torment, discussing his influence and impact on his own career
• Ingmar Bergman: First Cries, Early Whispers (2021, 20 mins): a new video essay by writer, filmmaker and film journalist Leigh Singer
• 100-page perfect-bound book featuring new essays by Jan Holmberg (CEO of the Ingmar Bergman Foundation), Philip Kemp, Geoff Andrew, Jessica Kiang, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Kat Ellinger and Laura Hubner

All of films in Ingmar Bergman: Volume 1 will also be released on BFI Player Subscription on 9 August 2021, and on iTunes and Amazon Prime on 16 August.