Port of Call (1948)

Berit, a tormented soul wrapped in the guise of a factory girl, emerges from the shadows of a reformatory school, her spirit marred by an attempted suicide. Her life is a tempest of despair, her existence hanging by the fragile threads of melancholy and desperation. Chained by circumstances, she yearns for freedom from the clutches of her manipulative mother, the drudgery of the factory, and the haunting specter of her social worker who threatens to drag her back into the bleak confines of the reformatory. In the midst of her turmoil, Berit stumbles upon a glimmer of hope, a sailor named Gösta, in the dimly lit corners of a dance club. Their paths intertwine for a night, and later, as they surrender to their shared affection, Gösta naively believes he was the first to traverse the intimate landscapes of her heart. Their love story, however, is not a remedy to Berit's woes but a complex addition to her already tumultuous existence. When an old friend from her past reaches out in desperation, Berit finds herself at a crossroads. Meanwhile, she struggles to maintain her fragile relationship with her mother, a condition imposed on her for holding her job in the industry. Amidst the storm, Gösta stands as her potential beacon, but does he possess the strength to weather her storm and provide the support she so desperately seeks? This is a tale of love and despair, a dance of emotions on the precipice of hope and destruction.

Port of Call is a drama movie featuring Nine-Christine Jönsson and directed by Ingmar Bergman.

Port of Call is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.

It is also possible to buy Port of Call on Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube.