Der siebente Kontinent
Michael Haneke / AT, 1989 / 104 min.
Haneke’s clinical portrait of an average Austrian family realising how worthless money and possessions are, and arriving at the ultimate conclusion. Nicht bremsen it says on the carwash. The perfect metaphor for life in a consumption-driven society.
The father’s name is Georg, the mother’s Anna and the child is called Eva. Pretty standard really. Father works hard for a security company, mother is an optician and the child goes to school.
In three chapters Haneke paints a claustrophobic portrait of a family trapped in a constrictive pattern. Ultimately seeking almost mystical salvation in the automatisms of a fully functional, consumption-oriented existence, in which human contact proves impossible.
Special screenings
Details
Director
Michael Haneke
Production year
1989
Country
AT
Original title
Der siebente Kontinent
Length
104 min.
Language
German, French, English
Subtitles
ENG
Format
DCP
Part of
Cinema Ecologica
Much in life is uncertain, but one thing is sure: climate change. Cinema Ecologica focuses on how film directors depict the relationship between humanity and the earth: from nail-biting disaster films to artistic meditations, from romantic nature experiences to astounding science fiction.
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