Michael Haneke
Michael Haneke
Michael Hanekeis an Austrian film director and screenwriter best known for films such as Funny Games, Caché, The White Ribbonand Amour. His work often examines social issues, and depicts the feelings of estrangement experienced by individuals in modern society. Haneke has worked in television‚ theatre and cinema. Besides working as a filmmaker, Haneke also teaches film direction at the Film Academy Vienna...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth23 March 1942
CityMunich, Germany
CountryUnited States of America
children believe people
Writers and filmakers, that is, people who describe the world, suffer from an occupational disease. They never experience moments in life quite spontaneously. You always look at yourself from the outside. Even as a child I always observed myself and the world. I believe that everyone who chooses this path in any way, who chooses to be a describer of life, suffers from this condition. It's like a mental obsession. It can be a great pity too. It robs you of a certain joy in spontaneity.
chewing gratuitous gum perhaps physical run scared school wrapped
It's because I am a coward. At school, when there were fights, I'd run away. I have always been scared of physical violence. Perhaps that's the reason. But it also angers me to see gratuitous violence, wrapped up like chewing gum to be consumed. It's irritating; it's cynical.
thinking needs humans
I think that religion is an integral part of human needs, but the question also is how you understand religion.
care want matter
Never say no. It always depends on what's possible. I don't care so much where it is; it's what I want to do that matters.
thinking imagination important
If I tell the audience what they should think, then I am robbing them of their own imagination and their own capacity of deciding what's important to them.
character writing two
It's harder to write a story with just two people in a room than with 50 characters.
two actors location
It's more enjoyable to shoot in a studio on a single location with two actors...if they are good.
thinking ideas firsts
Of course there are many films about the period of Fascism itself but I don't know of any about that period beforehand. But it wasn't that specific fact that they weren't there that got me to think about this in the first place. It's not what led to the basic idea for the film, although it became apparent when I began to think about it.
character exercise ideas
The trouble is that when you read criticisms about the other films that I've made you get the impression that they're all about themes, or problems, or ideas. But those are actually things that develop out of characters, out of images and out of other things. These more abstract things develop while working on the material, and out of it. It's not a theoretical exercise from the outset.
children kids hands
The smaller and younger kids are, the more patient you have to be. But if they're gifted, then it's a wonderful present that you're given by having a child like that in your film... more so than in the case of actors because, for example, if you ask them to play a lion, they don't then play a lion, they actually are a lion. So, a gifted child is something very special. On the other hand, if a child has no gifts in that way it's absolutely hopeless and there's nothing you can do!
believe thinking two
If a director says he doesn't care how many people see his films at all, I simply don't believe him. Otherwise why would he bother to make the film? The only explanation would be that it would be an act of masturbation. I think that every creator is looking for a receptor. He's looking for an audience. There are two parts of the equation: a creator and, necessarily, the receiver of the work. It's the same thing for a painter who wants his paintings to be seen.
children essence actors
It's difficult because you can't generalise about these things. But in essence, you deal with children as simply as you deal with actors - you have to show a certain sort of respect. You deal with them lovingly and protect them, but if you protect them enough then they're open to engage with what you want to do with them.
art want answers
It's the duty of art to ask questions, not to provide answers. And if you want a clearer answer, I'll have to pass.
art book thinking
I think watching a movie that simply confirms my feelings is a waste of time. That applies not only to movies, but also to books and every form of art.