ABSTRACT
Early Life Ernst Ingmar Bergman was born on July 14, 1918, in Uppsala, Sweden, to Erik and Karin Bergman and was reared in the country home of his maternal grandmother. A Lutheran pastor, Erik Bergman believed in strict discipline for his family. Many of Bergman's childhood memories revolve around episodes of punishment by humiliation; however, not all of his experiences were negative. His grandmother discussed important issues with the boy daily and encouraged his storytelling abilities. Though Bergman's early years were spent in relative poverty, a rich aunt did provide him with inspiration for his future career in filmmaking. She gave his elder brother a magic lantern film projector, which Bergman so coveted that he traded his collection of toy soldiers for it.
