The Abbotsford Film Society (AFS) has chosen Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal as the third film in its second season.
The film will be shown Friday, Jan. 26 at The Banquet Room at Emmanuel Mennonite Church, 3471 Clearbrook Rd. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the film begins at 8 p.m.
The Seventh Seal is set in Sweden during the Black Plague. A knight returning from the Crusades plays chess with the Grim Reaper as they discuss life, death and the existence of God.
AFS president Aaron Dawson chose The Seventh Seal because it was one of three critical films he watched in his world cinema classes in film school.
“We had to watch Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin, Kurasawa’s Rashomon, and Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. They are considered essential viewing for anyone interested in film history and world cinema,” Dawson said.
“We (AFS) hadn’t programmed any European cinema yet, so I thought it was time to do so.”
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Filmed in 1957, The Seventh Seal is considered by many to be one of the greatest films of all time. It established Bergman as a world-renowned director and, in Dawson’s opinion, it has some of the best black-and-white cinematography ever.
The film influenced American New Wave directors like Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, establishing arthouse film as a legitimate genre.
The film also launched the career of Max von Sydow, who may be best known for playing Father Merrin in The Exorcist or Emperor Ming in Flash Gordon.
Because the film is richly layered and asks deep philosophical questions about life and death, Dawson thinks viewers will come away with lots to think about.
“The film is really about confronting your mortality and asking you what you’re going to do with your life for it to be meaningful,” he said. “It’s the perfect film for January, when we’re making resolutions.”
Tickets are $7 at the door or online at abbotsfordfilmsociety.com.
Guests are encouraged to use the Clearbrook Road entrance to the parking lot and enter on the north side of the building.
For more information, visit the AFS website or find them on Facebook and Instagram.
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