Walpurgis Night (1935)

 Gustaf Edgren's "Walpurgis Night"


There is no denying that Victor Sjostrom is the father of Swedish cinema. However, after he stopped making films after the introduction of sound, there weren't very many Swedish artists making it to the global stage in cinema. This would all change with Ingmar Bergman, of course. But before making his appearance, Sweden's film output was consistent but never attained anything global, save for a few films by Alf Sjoberg. However, there was a young actress in Sweden during the 1930s that really started making a name for herself, first in Sweden and then globally. This actress was Ingrid Bergman and her career in Sweden was merely a stepping stone. In one her earliest roles, 1935's "Walpurgis Night," she got to unite with the father of Swedish cinema himself, Sjostrom. Despite no longer making films, he was still acting in them. Their performative collaboration was a great middle ground between the history of cinema and its future.



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