CITY Screen, York and the Centre for Lifelong Learning at the University of York are joining together for an Ingmar Bergman season in March.

“We’ve been running Spring Saturday morning seasons in collaboration with City Screen for more than ten years on a variety of cinematic topics,” says Iain Barr, of the Lifelong Learning centre.

The Films of Ingmar Bergman programme starts on March 1 at City Screen and runs for four consecutive Saturday mornings from 9.15am to 12 noon.

“The course is entirely open access, and as well as receiving an introduction to the film each week by a university tutor, participants receive handouts and refreshments, and the chance for a Q&A at the end of each screening,” says Iain.

“It’s a great way to start the weekend for anyone with a keen interest in cinema history and a rare chance to see some of the featured films on the big screen.”

Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007) stands among the giants of motion picture history. “His films have provided us with some of cinema’s most iconic images and inspired a generation of influential filmmakers, including Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen,” says Iain.

“Throughout his long and prestigious career, Bergman wrote and directed a series of highly personal art films that explore a range of thought-provoking ideas, such as the nature of mortality, the existence of God and humanity’s capacity for cruelty.

“During this course, we will watch and discuss four of Bergman’s most acclaimed films and will consider how his thematic concerns developed over time. In doing so, we’ll also explore his artistic collaborations with actors, such as Harriet Andersson, Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullmann, and cinematographers, such as Gunnar Fischer and Sven Nykvist.”

The provisional film list is Summer With Monika, from 1952; The Seventh Seal, from 1957; Persona, from 1966; and Cries And Whispers, from 1972.

The £40 course fee covers each screening, introductory lecture and tea or coffee. You can sign up online at bit.ly/17MPyxz or by calling 01904 328473; please note, all tickets must be bought in advance and will be issued by post.