The seventh art? Art cinema and Ingmar Bergman from an audience perspective

Art cinema is a contested concept within film studies. Making use of Ingmar Bergman and his films, most of which can be classified as art cinema, I explore art cinema as an interpretative strategy for audiences. First, I explore the concept theoretically and in relation to Bergman and his work. Next, I explore how historical audiences have used the concept in relation to Ingmar Bergman. Participants in Sweden (n = 21) and Belgium (n = 27) make sense of incoherent or incomprehensible narratives in relation to what is known about Bergman contextually. Applying art cinema is historically and culturally specific, and often to “show off” a certain cultural position.Art cinema is a contested concept within film studies. Making use of Ingmar Bergman and his films, most of which can be classified as art cinema, I explore art cinema as an interpretative strategy for audiences. First, I explore the concept theoretically and in relation to Bergman and his work. Next, I explore how historical audiences have used the concept in relation to Ingmar Bergman. Participants in Sweden (n = 21) and Belgium (n = 27) make sense of incoherent or incomprehensible narratives in relation to what is known about Bergman contextually. Applying art cinema is historically and culturally specific, and often to “show off” a certain cultural position.A