Bo Widerberg

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Bo Widerberg, (June 8, 1930 - May 1, 1997) was a Swedish film director, born in Malmö.

Wideberg was the director of films such as Kvarteret Korpen (Raven's End), "All things fair" (1995), "(The ballad of) Joe Hill" (1971), Ådalen 31 (1969) and Elvira Madigan.

He won a Silver Bear prize in Berlin and received a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar Nomination for "All things fair" and a Special Grand Jury Prize at Cannes Festival for "Joe Hill", film currently available neither on DVD nor on VHS.

Bo Widerberg's vision of swedish cinema parted radically with its contemporary form of the time. He called for a greater political significance and more progressive story telling. Bergman being the leading figure of the time, was not his ideal at all, although he recognized his position: "Nor me or my friends saw very much in him. We didn't find the issue of god's existence that damn important. But it's safe to say you'd be putting yourself in a bad position if you're trying to slit the throat of the father figure before your own debut."

In his book "A vision of swedish cinema" he concluded that Bergman's films almost exclusively dealed with issues directed upwards, but more seldom in sideways, between people. He made vertical films when the need for horizontal ones was most dire. He wanted film to be a tool of the social sciences, a kind of sociological report.