Winter Light - the second part of Bergman's 'trilogy of faith' - takes place one stark afternoon in a Swedish village where Tomas Ericsson, (Gunnar Björnstrand), a widowed pastor, struggles to preside over his dwindling congregation. Enduring his own crisis of spirituality, Ericsson is unable to offer solace to a local fisherman (Max von Sydow) suffering a debilitating fear of nuclear attack. After reading a beseeching letter from a local schoolteacher (Ingrid Thulin) he has been involved with – delivered in the form of a staggering 6-minute direct-to-camera address – he shuns her advances only to find comfort later in the performance of rituals that have become nothing more than routine.

This film screens as part of BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL: THE FILMS OF INGMAR BERGMAN - screening in the IFI Cinema in Dublin on Wednesday, February 26th at 20.40; and available to watch online across the Republic of Ireland on IFI@Home from Saturday, February 1st.