Bergman wrote '' Persona '' with Ullmann and Andersson in mind for the lead roles and the idea of exploring their identities , and shot the film in Stockholm and Fårö in 1965 . In production , the filmmakers experimented with effects , using smoke and a mirror to frame one scene and combining the lead characters ' faces in post-production for one shot . Andersson defended a sexually explicit monologue in the screenplay , and rewrote portions of it . When first released , '' Persona '' was edited because of its controversial subject matter . It received positive reviews , with Swedish media coining the word '' Person ( a ) kult '' to describe its enthusiastic admirers . It won Best Film at the 4th Guldbagge Awards , and was Sweden 's entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film . The censored content was reinstated in English-language restorations in 2001 . Many critics consider '' Persona '' one of the greatest films ever made , and it was ranked the fifth-best in '' Sight & Sound '' s 1972 poll and 17th in 2012 . It also influenced many later directors , including Robert Altman and David Lynch
4th Guldbagge Awards
4th Guldbagge Awards
Persona (1966 film)