The Seventh Continent

Synopsis

Based on a true story, Michael 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.