When she was seventeen, she became a script supervisor for Ingmar Bergman. Just because there was no one else to do it. This had started their nearly 30-year collaboration, on which “Bergman’s right hand” will come to give a talk. Katinka Farago.
Hello,
I was asked to write a couple of lines about Ingmar Bergman, about what it was like to work for him and with him. I know that “with him” may sound a bit snooty, but after all those years it really was “with him” rather than “for him”.
The beginnings were terrible. I was only seventeen and he had an awful reputation. He was said to be used to kicking script supervisors out of studio which made me a bit terrified. But after a number of fierce quarrels in front of the crew and the actors I started to realize what it was about. He always flared up when some actor protested or did something he wouldn’t like. Yet for practical reasons, for the tears would ruin the makeup and so on, it was easier to shout at the supervisor. Luckily, as he grew older, it became too exhaustive for him and he got to be calmer and friendlier.
Trust, sincerity, ambitions and punctuality were the three most important factors for getting on good terms with him.
Speaking of ambitions, Ingmar Bergman was one of the most ambitious film directors I’ve ever worked with. Every evening, he made a careful preparation for he hated to improvise and, what’s most important, he was very humble. He never thought of himself as one of the best in the world. Every morning was a new, though beginning. Even going to the studio and getting to work was a pain as he was plagued with self-doubt of not to conduct a good job. And I was sorry for him, having saw how miserable he felt.
I was very lucky to work with the best one.