CERN CineClub - The Seventh Continent

Wednesday 4 Mar 2015, 20:00 → 21:50 Europe/Zurich

503/1-001 - Council Chamber (CERN)

Directed by Michael Haneke

Austria, 1989, 110 minutes

Based on a true story, Haneke’s first theatrical feature is a disturbing portrait of familial disintegration which he describes as a depiction of his native Austria’s « progressive emotional glaciation ».  Set over a three year period, it documents how the mundane day to day routines of a middle class family alienate them from the world and each other until, suddenly and shockingly, their lives self-destruct.  Addressing themes that would inform much of his later work – the breakdown of society, violence and the media – « The Seventh Continent » is both intelligent and masterfully composed.

Original version german; english subtitles