May 4 - June 3, 2023 Michael Haneke: An American Cinematheque Retrospective Series | TIME OF THE WOLF, THE SEVENTH CONTINENT, BENNY’S VIDEO, 71 FRAGMENTS OF A CHRONOLOGY OF CHANCE, THE WHITE RIBBON, FUNNY GAMES (1997), HAPPY END, CACHÉ, CODE UNKNOWN, FUNNY GAMES (2007), THE PIANO TEACHER and AMOUR
ABOUT THE SERIES: The American Cinematheque is thrilled to present this complete film retrospective for one of the most celebrated filmmakers of contemporary world cinema, Michael Haneke. Our series culminates in a live virtual career conversation with the director, followed by a double feature of THE PIANO TEACHER and AMOUR, as part of the official selection of Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair – Year 2, coming in June 2023. Raised in Austria by parents who were both entertainers, Michael Haneke had considered becoming an actor himself before embarking on a remarkably distinguished career behind the camera. After making his start in the German television industry, he made his feature filmmaking debut in 1989 with THE SEVENTH CONTINENT, the first part of a “glaciation trilogy” that would continue with BENNY’S VIDEO (1992) and 71 FRAGMENTS OF A CHRONOLOGY OF CHANCE (1994). With their unblinking look at desperate acts and beleaguered protagonists, these films mapped out a cinema of discomfort for which Haneke has become famous. While such titles as FUNNY GAMES (1997 – and remade by the director 10 years later) and HAPPY END (2017) belie their serious subject matter, Haneke’s reputation for thought-provoking drama has made him a magnet for performers eager to tackle challenging characters in difficult situations; Juliette Binoche (CACHÉ, CODE UNKNOWN) and Isabelle Huppert (THE PIANO TEACHER, TIME OF THE WOLF) have done some of their best work for him. The director is also a favorite of the international film festival circuit and has won the Palme d’Or at Cannes for both THE WHITE RIBBON and AMOUR (the latter was also a Best Foreign-Language Oscar winner).