Quotes by

Michael Haneke

And if there was one title that could be applied to all my films, it would be Civil War – not civil war in the way we know it, but the daily war that goes on between us all. – Michael Haneke

I love actors, both my parents were actors, and the work with actors is the most enjoyable part of making a film. Its important that they feel protected and are confident they wont be betrayed. When you create that atmosphere of trust, its in the bag – the actors will do everything to satisfy you. – Michael Haneke

Drama lives on conflict. If youre trying to deal with social issues seriously, theres no way of avoiding violence, which is so present in society. – Michael Haneke

People expect me to be dark and gloomy, then write that Im a jolly chap, and after all, that is what I am. I think its a case of an absolute romantic naivety that there should be a parallel between the work and the artist. – Michael Haneke

And I dont believe that children are innocent. In fact, no one seriously believes that. Just go to a playground and watch the kids playing in the sandbox! The romantic notion of the sweet child is simply the parents projecting their own wishes. – Michael Haneke

Because Im the author of my screenplays I know what Im looking for. Its true that I can be stubborn in demanding that I get what I want, but its also a question of working with patience and love. – Michael Haneke

To me, its far more efficient to mobilize the imagination. Its far more efficient to hear a creaking step, for example, than to see the face of a monster, which usually looks ridiculous, and where you know that the blood is ketchup. – Michael Haneke

Its unbearable when someone changes around you. Just imagine that your life partner changes, then it is difficult to cope with. Or your mother. Or your father. They were strong and now theyre like a baby – its not so funny. – Michael Haneke

Funny Games was conceived as a provocation. My other films are different. If people feel my other films are, or respond to them as provocation, then thats quite different. Funny Games is the only one of mine where my intention was to provoke the audience. – Michael Haneke

When I first envisioned Funny Games in the mid-1990s, it was my intention to have an American audience watch the movie. It is a reaction to a certain American cinema, its violence, its naivety, the way American cinema toys with human beings. In many American films, violence is made consumable. – Michael Haneke

Ive never let producers tell me what to do. Even when I was making television, I always did what I wanted to do, and if I couldnt, I didnt do it. It was a freedom that, these days, young directors starting out dont have. – Michael Haneke

Films that are entertainments give simple answers but I think thats 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

Of course, we avoid death. To know something is inevitable is one thing. To accept, to truly feel it… thats different. – Michael Haneke

To be perfectly honest, I think that as Im growing older, Im just growing more impatient. Ill be very happy if at some point people say, Michaels grown wiser and softer in his old age. But well have to wait and see what my next project is. – Michael Haneke

Mainstream cinema raises questions only to immediately provide an answer to them, so they can send the spectator home reassured. If we actually had those answers, then society would appear very different from what it is. – Michael Haneke

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

All movies assault the viewer in one way or another. – Michael Haneke