Gunnar Fischer

Who was Gunnar Fischer?

Gunnar Fischer was a Swedish cinematographer who worked with director Ingmar Bergman on several of the director's best-known films, including Smiles of a Summer Night and The Seventh Seal.

Born in Ljungby on November 18, 1910, Fischer studied painting for Otte Sköld before electing to join the Swedish Navy for 3 years. His passion for film led him to the Svensk Filmindustriwhere he learned cinematography from Victor Sjöström's photographer Julius Jaenzon. Acting as an assistant cameraman for 16 feature films, he made his debut as director of photography in 1942. In addition to his career as cinematographer Gunnar Fischer directed short films, wrote screenplays and published books for children. He was married to Gull Söderblom, sister of the popular actor Åke Söderblom.

Known for his work with directors Bergman and Carl Theodor Dreyer, as well as work with Walt Disney, Fischer received an honorary Guldbagge Award for lifetime achievement in 2002, as well as the Ingmar Bergman Award in 1992. His first collaboration with Bergman was on the melodrama Port of Call, a partnership which continued until The Devil's Eye. Fischer has been quoted saying the two men were never each other's "bowing servants" yet his admiration for Bergman stood firm: "I felt privileged collaborating with Bergman."