During the Almedalen Week 2018, and in connection with the Ingmar Bergman Centennial, an interactive performative event was organized. Dubbed Inviter—Cinemaoke in the Bergman Closet, it was inspired by the queer characters of Bergman’s films. The performance was informed by the concept of cinemaoke, in which the audience is encouraged to walk into film scenes.

How can film and film history be employed in promoting our understanding of one another, and thereby create the conditions for open conversations? The purpose of the pilot study Queer Bergman Cinemaoke was to include the audience in a new way of experiencing film. We wanted to examine what happens to an audience when it embodies the experiences and emotions displayed on-screen. This event was located in Almedalen specifically in order to make room for film in the common democratic arena.

Process

December 2017 → August 2018

In public

July 1–4, during Almedalen week

Living on

Parts of the stage design from the show have lived on in the building which is now run as a cultural center.

The performance took place in the former arts school in Visby. Set designers worked alongside sound and light designers on the site-specific scenography. Visitors to Almedalen were treated to an interactive performance in which scenes were open to imitation and interpretation. The concept Cinemaoke was created by Ingrid Ryberg, Ulrika Bandeira and Annika Wik. On film sets, and aided by ten actors, a playful safe space was created for the audience to experience cinema using all their senses.

The performance showed the power in using culture itself in addition to cultural political arguments. Rather than talking about the value of culture, the pilot study employed film as a tool for portraying its emotional, intellectual and political power. It thereby became a contributing voice for non-discrimination in the democratic arena.

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