Bergmania i Río de la Plata

Sammanfattning: This thesis analyses the Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman’s impact on Argentine film and identity formation from the first South American premiere of Sommarlek (1951) in 1952 to the fall of the argentine dictatorship in 1983. Based on the Science's Blood Flow Theory developed by sociologist Bruno Latour the essay reconstructs the technological conditions for Bergman's breakthrough. In addition, a picture metaphysical analysis, inspired by Lucy Bolton’s philosophy of film, is carried out to examine the role of movies, Bergman’s included, in the construction of Argentine cultural identity during the 20th century. The analysis shows that Ingmar Bergman’s films began to be imported to the region after film reviews by prominent film critics which caught the attention of film distributors. Bergman’s themes together with his European origins made his films relevant and sought after by the Argentine and Uruguayan audiences. In addition, Juan Perón's policy during the 1950s resulted in a flourishing film culture, but a lower film standard and the abolition of the policy resulted in both increased imports of foreign films, including Bergmans, and the creation of domestic fine culture films that were often influenced by Bergman's and other European filmmakers. Bergman's films had an impact in the region around the Río de la Plata earlier than in other parts of the world, Sweden excluded, and therefore both the Argentine and Uruguayan narratives state that they were the ones who discovered Bergman.