"Sven Nykvist's color cinematography on the films of the director Ingmar Bergman has won two Academy Awards, much praise, and many imitators. Although he has worked for other directors (among them, Louis Malle, Roman Polanski, Volker Schlöndorff and Andrei Tarkovsky), and directed his own films, his collaboration (since 1959) with Bergman has produced his most innovative and influential work...So well does Nykvist's cinematography fit Bergman's later films that it is difficult to untangle their mutual influence on each other's work...Nykvist's pioneering with natural light sources complement's Bergman's penchant for location shooting and minimalist shot compositions ('two faces and a teacup'). While Nykvist builds upon the Swedish tradition of filmmaking in his style, he has brought the national tradition of stark psychological landscape into international favor with color cinematography that achieves iconographical beauty by eschewing the distracting prettiness generally associated with color film...The influence of his color cinematography can be seen in films as far removed from his own work as Yentl. "Nykvist emphasizes that he strives for realism, but this term is misleading. He portrays psychological truth rather than social realism, and his heavy reliance on natural light and geometrically precise shot composition gives his work the convincing quality of a dream, not a documentary. Nykvist explains that light is the key to his cinematography, and that light is a character in Bergman's films, the significance of an actor's actions often being determined by subtle differences in lighting...(T)ypical of his style is his bravura camerawork on Scenes from a Marriage, which includes ten-minute takes with as many as twenty zooms per take, plus complex camera movements. His ability to track an actor precisely and sensitively during a long take is phenomenal...Despite his technical mastery and careful pre-planning, he relies heavily on instinct and a feel for shots, and approaches his work more as an artist than a technician. Patricia Ferrara, The International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers The art of Sven Nykvist can be traced in tonight's program of film clips selected by Mr. Nykvist from his Swedish and American films, and in discussion with the artist. The clips include: Winter Light (Ingmar Bergman, 1962), Cries and Whispers (Bergman, 1972), Pretty Baby (Louis Malle, 1978), The Postman Always Rings Twice (Bob Rafelson, 1981), Fanny and Alexander (Bergman, 1983), The Sacrifice (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1986), and The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Philip Kaufman, 1988). A feature, title to be announced, will be screened in its entirety at approximately 9:30 following an intermission. PFA thanks the Bernard Osher Foundation, the Swedish Information Service and the Swedish Film Institute for their assistance in presenting this program.