Bo Widerberg is considered one of the central figures in the Swedish cinema. Preferring natural lighting, he shoots mostly out of doors and never in a studio. Widerberg's Elvira Madigan was the official Swedish entry in the 1967 Cannes Film Festial. The Walker Art Center provides this note: “An historical incident inspired this testament by Bo Widerberg to romantic love. In 1889 Lieutenant Sparre (Thommy Berggren) and Elvira Madigan (Pia Degermark) are both deserters--he from the Swedish army and she from her parents' circus. He is a count, and she is a tightrope walker. Their attempt to create their own world, away from the society that would keep them apart, is a story of intense dedication and ultimate tragedy.”