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# The scope of our ambition — Kelford Labs Daily
- URL: https://kelfordinc.com/the-scope-of-our-ambition-kelford-labs-daily/
- Published: 2025-08-28T10:24:04.000Z
- Updated: 2026-01-27T12:45:02.000Z
- Description: Bergman or Lean?
- Author: Joel Kelly
- Tags: constraint, creative, Daily Labs, decision, focus, perspective, tradeoff

British film director David Lean was one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. You might recognize some of his titles like *Lawrence of Arabia*, *Brief Encounter*, or *Doctor Zhivago.*

Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman was one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. You might recognize titles like *Persona*, *Cries & Whispers*, or *Wild Strawberries*.

They were fans of each other’s work, but as Lean’s career and fame grew, so did his productions.

Whereas Bergman’s films stayed comparatively small in scale.

**And yet, if you ask any film buff whose movies were *better*, they’d be hard pressed to answer. They were both absolute legends and pioneers of their craft.**

But, cinematically, their films can appear as almost opposites, or they certainly occupy opposite ends of the spectrum of “scale.”

In Roger Ebert’s essay on Bergman, which I read in his book *Awake in the Dark*, he provided this delightful anecdote:

> “At the Cannes Film Festival one year, \[Bergman’s regular cinematographer\] said, Bergman was talking with David Lean, the director of *Lawrence of Arabia* and *Dr. Zhivago*.  
>  
> ‘What kind of crew do you use?’ Lean asked.  
>  
> ‘I make my films with eighteen good friends,’ Bergman said.  
>  
> ‘That’s interesting,’ said Lean. ‘I make mine with 150 enemies.’”

I *love* that story. Because it speaks to *tradeoffs*, to *choices*.

**There are always multiple ways of doing things, we just have to remember that it takes** [**trades**](https://kelfordinc.com/everything-is-a-tradeoff/)**, not compromises.**

It takes commitment to the scope and scale of our ambition, not a muddy [middle](https://kelfordinc.com/getting-unstuck-in-the-middle/) path.

So whenever I take on a new project, I now often ask myself: “Bergman or Lean”?

Do I want to make something small, something focused? Or something vast and expansive?

Both have their advantages, their costs and rewards.

**The only path that doesn’t is the one straight down the middle.**

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