Two-Time Cannes Palme d'Or-Winning Master Michael Haneke Retires, Final Film 'Happy End'

World-renowned Austrian master director Michael Haneke has reportedly retired from filmmaking.

Markus Schleinzer, a former casting director and director who has worked with Haneke for a long time, recently revealed Haneke's current status during an interview for his new film "Rose," stating, "He has retired." Born in 1942, director Haneke is 84 years old this year.

Schleinzer shared, "He is living happily. He did what he could do, and he is satisfied with his works and results." He added that Haneke has stepped away from filmmaking after completing 10 feature films, much like Robert Bresson, whom he admired throughout his life.

Before debuting as a director, Schleinzer worked as a casting director and contributed to Haneke's films. Notably, for "The White Ribbon," he auditioned thousands of child actors and was in charge of coaching the children's acting on set.

Born in Germany, director Michael Haneke worked as a critic and television director before making his feature film debut at the relatively late age of 48 with "The Seventh Continent."

He began to receive global attention in 1997 when his film "Funny Games" entered the competition section at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2007, he moved to Hollywood and directly remade the work.

In 2001, "The Piano Teacher" swept three awards: the Grand Prix, Best Actress (Isabelle Huppert), and Best Actor (Benoît Magimel). In 2005, he received the Best Director award at Cannes for "Caché." He reached the pinnacle of his career by winning the Palme d'Or, the highest prize at Cannes, for two consecutive films: "The White Ribbon" in 2009 and "Amour" in 2012. "Amour" also achieved the feat of winning Best Foreign Language Film at the 85th Academy Awards.

Director Haneke has consistently maintained an interest in everyday violence and power, earning fame for his meticulous and persistent portrayals. He frequently utilizes long takes to unfold multiple situations within a single shot, controlling the audience's perspective by repeating tension and release. The final conversation scene between the elderly couple in "Amour" and the public restroom scene in "The Piano Teacher" are particularly famous.

He has directed a total of 12 films to date, with his final work being "Happy End," which entered the competition section of the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.