You are here:
… But Film Is My Mistress

… But Film Is My Mistress

2010

Director

Stig Björkman

Runtime

66 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Guided by Liv Ullmann and with commentaries from a number of prominent filmmakers for whom Bergman is and remains an important influence - such as Woody Allen, Olivier Assayas, Bernardo Bertolucci, Arnaud Desplechin, John Sayles, Martin Scorsese and Lars von Trier, the film provides a vivid portrait of the artist who in each new project found a challenge for himself and for the people he worked with - both actors and colleagues behind the camera.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

4.8/10

Fair


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

The documentary explores transgressive and psychologically complex themes through Bergman's legacy. While it lacks explicit queer character arcs, the inclusion of filmmakers like Lars von Trier suggests a narrative space for non-heteronormative perspectives.

Gender Representation

Good

Liv Ullmann serves as a foundational guide, centering the narrative on her perspective. This approach disrupts the 'great man' trope by highlighting women as essential intellectual architects of the cinematic process.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

The commentary is predominantly Western and Anglo-European, focusing on a specific Swedish and European lineage. While American filmmakers like Woody Allen appear, the film offers limited racial or ethnic intersectionality.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The film excels at promoting intellectual relativism and subjective morality. It frames the artistic process as a site of constant disruption to established norms and traditional moral structures.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no specific evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within this documentary.

Strengths

  • Subverts the 'great man' trope by emphasizing the intellectual agency of female collaborators.
  • Promotes complex, post-modern themes of psychological depth and artistic rebellion.
  • Features high-level intellectual contributions from globally recognized cinematic auteurs.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks significant racial and ethnic intersectionality within its commentator pool.
  • Provides limited explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identity or queer narratives.
  • Remains heavily centered on a Western, Anglo-European cinematic tradition.

AI Analysis

The film functions as a sophisticated intellectual exercise that deconstructs the traditional 'director-as-dictator' trope. By centering the collaborative process and the agency of actors like Liv Ullmann, it moves away from singular male-centric narratives toward a shared intellectual history. However, the documentary remains tethered to a specific Western intellectual lineage. The lack of racial intersectionality and explicit LGBTQ+ identity-based narratives limits its demographic breadth, keeping the overall score in a moderate range.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.