The Bricklayer

Welcome to the life of actor Thommy Berggren, now playing the part of himself: the working class son, the womaniser, the demonic actor, the adapter-director of Pinter, and last but not least, the storyteller. When Berggren participated in director Stefan Jarl’s film Liv till varje pris (1998), an affectionate portrait of Bo Widerberg – as a viewer, you were sometimes slightly confused about on whom the film focused. Muraren (The Bricklayer) is now all about Berggren – Jarl’s camera has followed the highly acclaimed actor for two and a half years. The viewer is confronted with pictures and stories, ranging from Berggren’s childhood and the shadow of his father – socialist, deceiver, alcoholic – to meeting big directors: Alf Sjoberg, Ingmar Bergman and, of course, Widerberg (who directed many of the films where Berggren achieved his most brilliant performances). Everything is eventually melted down into one question: what the art of great acting really is. It is Thommy Berggren himself who holds the key to the answer. –SFF