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Michael Haneke

Michael Haneke Quotes

Film director

Michael Haneke is a German film director known for his profound themes and unique narrative style. His films often explore moral dilemmas, social issues, and human nature. Haneke's style is characterized by simplicity and restraint, often prompting deep reflection from audiences.

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Famous Michael Haneke Quotes

“I want to make it clear: it's not that I hate mainstream cinema. It's perfectly fine. There are a lot of people who need to escape, because they are in very difficult situations, so they have the right to escape from the world. But this has nothing to do with an art form.”

People World Want Needs Art Form Hate Difficult Situation Clear Fine I Hate Cinema Mainstream Difficult Situations

Author:Michael Haneke

“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.”

Knows Want I Can And Love Patience Stubborn Screenplays Patience And Love

Author:Michael Haneke

“I make my films because I'm affected by a situation, by something that makes me want to reflect on it, that lends itself to an artistic reflection. I always aim to look directly at what I'm dealing with. I think it's a task of dramatic art to confront us with things that in the entertainment industry are usually swept under the rug.”

Thinking Want Looks Art Film Situation Industry Reflection Tasks Aim Entertainment Artistic Dramatic Affected Entertainment Industry

Author:Michael Haneke

“When making a film, I'm never concerned about whether the theme is new or whether it's been done before in cinema or not. I'm led to make films if there's a theme that interests me or I experience something in my own life that confronts me with something that I want to deal with.”

Ifs Want Done Film Interest My Own Deals Concerned Cinema Theme My Own Life

Author:Michael Haneke

“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.”

Ifs Want Film Cutting Scene Shots Originals Remakes

Author:Michael Haneke

“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.”

Ifs Want Children Enough Shows Certain Actors Difficult Deals Protect Essence What You Want

Author:Michael Haneke

“I want to be able to control things and that's very difficult to do if you're not 100% in a particular language. It makes you uncertain and it makes you nervous.”

Ifs Want Able Language Difficult Particular Nervous Uncertain

Author:Michael Haneke

“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.”

Want Matter Care Depends Don't Care I Don't Care

Author:Michael Haneke

“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.”

“If I'm reading a book that doesn't leave me with questions, moving questions, that I feel confronted with, then for me it's a waste of time. I don't want to read a book that simply confirms what I already know.”

Ifs Knows Want Feels Book Moving Reading Waste Wasting Time Leaving Me

Author:Michael Haneke

“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.”

Ifs Want Art Asks Answers Duty

Author:Michael Haneke

About the Author

Born: March 23, 1942
Known for: Film director
Quotes: 107

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