Biography
Swedish filmmaker Arne Sucksdorff was for nearly fifty years a standard bearer in the realm of the documentary. After studying natural history in Stockholm and Germany, Sucksdorff took a long trip to Italy. He returned with a full portfolio of scenic shots and nature studies, which won him a prize when they were reprinted in a Swedish film magazine. From still photography, Sucksdorff graduated to films, turning out a series of consummately photographed Swedish short subjects (one hesitates to characterize these with the demeaning label "travelogue"): An August Rhapsody (1939), A Summer Tale (1941), Reindeer Time (1942) and many others. Travelling to other lands for photogenic material, Sucksdorff won a Cannes Film Award for the 1951 short Indian Village; he has also filmed extensively in Brazil. Another Cannes award was bestowed upon Arne Sucksdorff for his 1957 home-grown feature The Flute and the Arrow. Never selling his name to a sponsor or cause, Arne Sucksdorff wrote, directed and photographed movies essentially for his own personal pleasure; it just so happened that they also provided limitless enjoyment to millions of others. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide