Interview with Michael Haneke, the Austrian director of ‘The White Ribbon’, winner of this year`s ‘Palme d`Or’ in Cannes.

‘The White Ribbon’ recounts strange happenings in a small German village on the eve of the First World War. The story is about punishment rituals on the children of the village, raised under extremely puritanical conditions. For Haneke it is a story from the past which also treats a modern problem.

Q: Mr. Haneke, does ‘The White Ribbon’ fit in with your previous films about violence in society?

 

M.H.: In this film I do indeed speak of violence. And violence is present in all my films. It is inevitable if you want to say something about our modern society. But in some of my previous films, I speak much more about the way the media present violence rather about violence as such. In ‘The White Ribbon’ the question of media presentation of violence is not touched upon, even though in the beginning of the film there is a voice-over proposing a reflection on violence. You know, every film has its own theme and requires a certain form. So I don`t know if in the future I will come back  to the subject of media, since in the end films define themselves. But it is possible that I the future I will make another movie on this theme. In any case, I am not very happy with the fact that I am presented as a specialist of media and of violence.

 

Q: How would you describe briefly the theme of ‘The White Ribbon’?

 

M.H.: I wanted to show children on whom absolute ideals were imposed by the previous generation. And the absolute ideals become inhuman ideals. The final result is terrorism.

 

Q: Does it concern a German problem?

 

M.H.: Certainly not. The problem is rooted in German society. But it exists in all situations where ideals are pursued to the point of perfection. We see it in religious fanaticism but also in the political fanaticism of both the left and the right. So I hope that nobody considers this as a film on “the German question”.

 

Q: How did you find all these actors?

 

M.H.: I was inspired by the faces of the period, especially those of the children. We had to search for six months in order to find children who fitted the film. I think that we saw about 7.000. But I didn`t do all this alone. I had a whole team of Assistant Directors helping me. This was necessary because I didn`t just want good faces. The children also had to be able to act. For the adult roles this was a little easier. I already had in mind a number of actors for certain roles, and I had already worked in the cinema or the theatre with some of the actors.

 

Q: How do you direct your actors?

 

M.H.: I prefer not to give much explanation to the actors. When an actor is good, has read the scenario and is well prepared, he can put himself in the situation. I start in this way. If the interpretation doesn`t work, I say so and I explain what is wrong to the actor or the actors. But I have always worked with great actors and they have never had a problem with the fact that I didn`t give them explanations. I think it all depends on good casting. If you have chosen the right actor for the right role, it will work out. But the situation must be very clear from the beginning.

 

Q: What do you think about the interpretations of your film?

 

M.H.: I recently read a long article on the film from the angle “parents and children”. I don`t know if this is correct. In any case I am not aware of all these levels of meaning (he laughs).

 

Q: Different interpretations of the film arise when journalists and spectators are left with unanswered questions………

 

M.H.: My aim is in fact that you are left with many questions after the film. I always want to tell a story in a way that makes the spectator concerned and start posing himself questions on the theme. But giving answers to all these questions is, in my view, counterproductive. Everyone continues asking me many questions. This was already the case with my very first film. But I am not the all-knowing person who can answer these questions. The world is what it is. An artist is someone who poses questions. For the answers you have to ask the Lord. If people had the answer, the world would be totally different. To give a general answer to all the problems is not only naïve but also stupid. It is very rarely wise to give answers. But it may be very useful to pose the right questions. Sometimes.

Translated from French by J.Tachmintzis

Interview by                                 in “Metro”