Monika, a restless, sexually harassed vegetable seller, and her more bourgeois boyfriend Harry take off in his father's boat for the islands. There she teaches him how to dance and how to make love, how to steal vegetables, and they dream of a family. Inevitably, it is not long before the pair are forced to return to reality. Critics touted ‘Summer with Monika’ as Bergman's most erotic film for its theme of a young man's sexual awakening and scenes of nudity. Although the film was initially quietly received, its reputation gathered steam throughout the 1950s, and it became an international sensation. “Summer with Monica” has gone down in history in Sweden and internationally as an important part of the wave of Swedish cinematic liberation.

Curator’s introduction at the screening.