When my first film 'The Seventh Continent' was presented here 12 years ago, non-Austrian spectators would come up to me and say, 'Is Austria that terrible?', whereas for me it wasn't about Austria but about highly industrialised cultures everywhere. Michael Haneke More Quotes by Michael Haneke More Quotes From Michael Haneke Of course I am a child of European culture. There are a number of great directors from which I learned, but there is nobody in particular I got inspired from. Michael Haneke numbersdirectorschildren I think that religion is an integral part of human needs, but the question also is how you understand religion. Michael Haneke humansneedsthinking If you do an original film and you want to cut a scene out you do it. But when you do a shot by shot remake you don't have that option and every scene has to work again. Michael Haneke filmcuttingwant People have been educated to expect answers, even before the questions come along. It's the TV principle. You offer three possible answers before the questions come to relax and calm the audience. Michael Haneke relaxprinciplespeople I’ve been accused of ‘raping’ the audience in my films, and I admit to that freely — all movies assault the viewer in one way or another. Michael Haneke viewersassaultway Of course, we avoid death. To know something is inevitable is one thing. To accept, to truly feel it... that's different. Michael Haneke inevitableacceptingdifferent Pornography, it seems to me, is no different from war films or propaganda films in that it tries to make the visceral, horrific, or transgressive elements of life consumable. Michael Haneke differenttryingwar On the set I make jokes I can't get too involved, or it turns into sentimental soup. I try to keep it light. Michael Haneke souplighttrying Awards are important for all directors because they improve your working conditions. You're only as good as your last film, so if you get prizes or large audiences, then you get more money for your next film. Michael Haneke awardsimportantdirectors I'm not someone who enjoys long talks, long rehearsals. I'm very technical: I tell my actors, you come in, you sit down, you pick up a coffee, you look here, you say the line. We try it with the cameras rolling, and if it doesn't work, we adjust it until it does. It's very simple. Michael Haneke coffeesimplelong Because I'm the author of my screenplays I know what I'm looking for. It's true that I can be stubborn in demanding that I get what I want, but it's also a question of working with patience and love. Michael Haneke stubbornand-lovepatience Film is the manipulative medium par excellence. When you think back on the history of film and the 20th century, you see the propaganda that's been made. So there are moral demands on the director to treat the spectators as seriously as he or she takes himself and not to see them merely as victims that can be manipulated to whatever ends they have. Michael Haneke excellencedirectorsthinking Drama lives on conflict. If you're trying to deal with social issues seriously, there's no way of avoiding violence, which is so present in society. Michael Haneke issuestryingdrama What we're doing for another person is more important than what we're feeling for them. Michael Haneke importantpersonsfeelings It’s harder to write a story with just two people in a room than with 50 characters. Michael Haneke writingcharactertwo A strict form such as mine cannot be achieved through improvisation. Michael Haneke improvisationstrictform Films that are entertainments give simple answers but I think that's ultimately more cynical, as it denies the viewer room to think. If there are more answers at the end, then surely it is a richer experience. Michael Haneke simplegivingthinking My father and I had a good relationship, it was very relaxed. He had a lot of humour. He looked a little bit like me, although he had no beard. He had the appearance of a very elegant British-looking man. Michael Haneke good-relationshipmenfather You'll see more violence in any television crime series than you will in my films Art is there to have a stimulating effect, if it earns its name. You have to be honest, that's the only thing. Michael Haneke violencenamesart There are really two types of laughter on the part of the spectator. There is the laughter of recognition - which means seeing things you're familiar with and laughing at yourself. But there's also hysterical laughter - a way of dealing with the things we see that upset us. Michael Haneke laughtertwomean
