Sweden celebrates director Bergman's legacy

By Adam Cox and Jerker Hellstrom

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Film stars, top politicians and members of Sweden's royal family were among those who celebrated the life and work of directing legend Ingmar Bergman on Monday in a ceremony at Stockholm's Royal Dramatic Theatre.

Bergman died in his sleep on July 30 at age 89. Considered by some to be the greatest film maker ever, he produced 54 movies, 126 theatre productions and 39 radio plays during a career spanning 60 years.

Sweden's most famous son influenced a generation of directors and artists with often somber works that dealt with sexual torment and the search for meaning in life.

His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from critics, artists and cultural figures around the world.

Monday's ceremony attracted a crowd of nearly 800, including Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, Culture Minister Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, Sweden's Queen Silvia and Crown Princess Victoria, along with members of Bergman's family.

It featured readings of the director's works by actors who worked with him, including Bibi Andersson, star of the acclaimed Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries, and Borje Ahlstedt and Pernilla August.

Ahlstedt and August both featured in the Oscar-winning Fanny and Alexander, a partly autobiographical work some critics deem the Swedish director's masterpiece.

Staffan Valdemar Holm, head of the Royal Dramatic Theatre, where the director spent much of his later years, told the audience Bergman had sought a much humbler memorial -- a single candle lit in the window of his study at the theatre.