Focus on Michael Haneke

Join us in the cinema as we celebrate the prestigious and provocative films of Michael Haneke.

When Michael Haneke labelled his first three theatrical films as the "Glaciation Trilogy” he regretted it.  Glaciers are hard, impenetrable and cold to the core, so we too won’t refer to the films by that name past this point: we see too much burning beneath the surface.

Michael Haneke’s films often take humanity's cruel acts, sometimes ripped from the headlines, and build context, depth and nuanced consideration around them.  Characters are often emotionally isolated and struggle to find true connections, but they’re blind to an invisible web of connections around them and most of all, their profound connection to the invisible cinema audience observing them.

The cool nihilism on the surface of Michael Haneke’s films belies a deep concern for humanity and a warm yearning to understand the unexplainable complexities of human behaviour.  There are no easy answers given, but there’s an immediate disruption to snap judgements: as audiences are invited to pause, observe and consider.

Join us as we collaborate closely with the Melbourne Cinematheque to celebrate the deceptively humanistic cinema of Michael Haneke from his early career in television to his prestigious, award-winning films.

– Reece Goodwin, Curator (Film & TV)